"Products eligible for Florida’s rebate program are only new appliances purchased in the state of Florida. The rebates are only available to consumers for home use. Florida will offer a 20% rebate off the retail price of a new qualified ENERGY STAR appliance. Rebates only apply to the purchase of the appliance and not to delivery or installation costs. Rebates shall be available only for six ENERGY STAR certified appliances and products: gas tank-less water heaters, clothes washers, refrigerators, dishwashers, room air-conditioners and freezers. This program is available to all Florida residents through a mail-in rebate application and will launch April 16, 2010, and conclude April 25, 2010."
I couldn’t help noticing the post April 15th start date, perhaps the rhyming legislator has a sense of humor too? Maybe it is meant to get you out of that April 15th funk. After seeing how little you actually made last year, you’ll need an incentive to go out and make a major purchase - that and a really stiff drink, or two, or three. I read that the date is supposedly to coincide with Florida’s Earth Day Activities. I’m puzzled though by the oh-so short timeframe.
Okay, back to the fine print: although you can and as the state’s site says “are encouraged to replace more than one appliance”, you can only receive rebates on the purchase of one of each type of ENERGY STAR appliance per address. That does make sense, energy efficiency would mean you don’t want to promote a two refrigerator household, but why limit room A/C units, or gas tank-less water heaters? Sorry, I know I shouldn’t kick the gift horse here.
And wait, more fine print - there’s more money in this for you! If you provide evidence of recycling the old appliance you are replacing, you get an additional $75! Ohmygosh, encouraging recycling; I’m feeling faint! Now really, pay attention. If you purchase from a retailer that takes the old appliance away, the receipt has to show that. So check with the store manager to make sure it does before you expect that extra $75. If you do it yourself, get a a receipt from the landfill and remember to submit that with your application.
[image-1]For those who are interested in the stats, rest easy. The state is hiring a third party to run the program and they will collect all the data, I suppose it will be available on the website at some later date. Who knows (and other than stat nerds) who cares after I get my money! Another stat you might be interested in: replacing the two water hogs of yore, the dishwasher and the washing machine with ENERGY STAR models can save a minimum of 400 gallons of our state’s most precious resource, water. That will save you money too. Have you checked how much your water bill is costing you each month? This is a boon to your wallet in so many ways, how can you deny yourselves a bright shiny machine? Spend without guilt, so go on out and stimulate the economy!
There must be a huge media blitz by the super giant retailers in the works, so remember; you heard it here first! I’m not quite sure how fast the money will disappear, so keep checking the website for the application and have it ready or risk missing out on piece of the stimulus pie.
Complete information about the Florida ENERGY STAR Appliance Rebate program is available on the Florida Energy and Climate Commission website at Energy Efficient Appliance Rebate FAQ
