New rebates coming for appliances, home improvements
In another two weeks, it’s going to be easier, and a fair bit cheaper, to save electricity and take a little off your utility bill.
On April 19, the Governor’s Energy Office is launching a new set of rebates on energy-efficient appliances and energy-saving home improvements. It will also launch a new Web site with energy efficiency and rebate information.
“It’s a one-stop shop where people can get all of the information they need,” said Tom Plant, executive directorof the Governor’s Energy Office, who was in Colorado Springs on Monday promoting the new program.
The $18 million program, dubbed Recharge Colorado, is being paid for from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Earlier ARRA funds were aimed at immediate needs, Plant said, whereas the rebates are designed to give the economy a boost as things begin to turn around.
“We’re partnering with consumers, which requires a certain amount of consumer confidence,” Plant said. “We’ve tried to spread it out so we could have an impact across the economy.”
The rebates include energy-efficient appliances such as clothes washers ($75 rebate), dishwashers ($50) and tankless water heaters ($300), plus services like home energy audits (up to $100) and home solar and wind power systems (up to 30 percent of the system cost). The GEO plans to award about 75,000 rebates in all.
The rebate on washing machines is likely to be the hot item, said Colorado Springs Utilities spokesman Gabriel Romero, because the Recharge Colorado $75 rebate can be matched with another $75 from Utilities.
“Buying a clothes washer on the 19th is a great time to do it,” Romero said.
The Recharge Colorado rebates will last as long as the money does (Utilities’ rebates are ongoing, Romero said, and have to be applied for separately), but there’s a set limit for each type of rebate. Plant said he expects the appliance rebates to be used quickly, and he’s planning for a big demand right off the bat.
“Everybody’s vacation is denied for the 19th” at the GEO, he said.
Plant said the Recharge Colorado Web site will continue after the rebates are gone and act as a clearinghouse for everything from finding an installer to what to look for in a high-efficiency furnace, plus information on local and federal rebates.
Get the green
On April 19, the Governor’s Energy Office will begin offering rebates on energy-efficient appliances and energy-efficiency improvements. Here’s a sample of the rebates that will be available:
Clothes washer — $75
Dishwasher — $50
Refrigerators — Up to $100
Furnaces — $500
Hot water heaters — $200-$300
Insulation and air sealing — Up to $400
Duct sealing — Up to $75
Whole house energy audit — Up to $100
For more information, go to colorado.gov/energy. A new Web site and a call center will be available on April 19. Once the program launches, consumers need to reserve a rebate before they buy the product or service. The rebates are not retroactive.
