State Energy-Efficient Appliance Rebate Program
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced in July 2009 that $300 million in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will be made available to states and territories to promote the purchase of ENERGY STAR® qualified appliances. Under this program, consumers can receive rebates to purchase new energy-efficient appliances when they replace used appliances.
Applying for Recovery Act Funding
Only states and territories may apply for funding under this Recovery Act initiative. Each state energy office must submit a plan to the U.S. Department of Energy that includes a list of covered products, the rebate amounts, and the process for applying for the rebates.
These plans are due to the Department by October 15, 2009, but will be accepted earlier. DOE aims to release all funds to the states by November 30, 2009. To read more about the original announcement, see the following resources.
Some of the documents are available as Adobe Acrobat PDFs. Download Adobe Reader.
- Secretary Chu Announces Nearly $300 Million Rebate Program to Encourage Purchases of Energy Efficient Appliances
- Funding Allocations for each State/Territory (PDF 11 KB)
- Recovery Information by State
- Funding Opportunity Announcement
What Will the States Offer?
All 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and the 5 territories (Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and America Samoa) have indicated they will offer rebate programs. DOE anticipates that rebates will be available to consumers in most parts of the country by early 2010. The rebates will differ state by state, as each state and territory may select which ENERGY STAR-qualified appliances to include in its program.
DOE has recommended that states consider the following ENERGY STAR qualified appliances:
- Boilers
- Central air conditioners
- Clothes washers
- Dishwashers
- Freezers
- Furnaces (oil and gas)
- Heat pumps (air source and geothermal)
- Refrigerators
- Room air conditioners
- Water heaters
Resources for Consumers
Visit the DOE Energy Savers Web site for a list of frequently asked questions about the program. Information about the rebate offerings in each state will also be available here, once state plans are approved by DOE.
In the meantime, the ENERGY STAR Web site can help you understand the benefits of ENERGY STAR qualified appliances, search for qualified models, and find existing utility rebates.
Consumers can also direct specific questions about the program to DOE's Recovery Hotline at (888) DOE-RCVY.
Resources for States and Territories
DOE provides technical assistance and resources to assist U.S. states and territories with their program planning.
Resources for ENERGY STAR Partners
Retailers and manufacturers can contact individual state energy offices to discuss partnership opportunities. Specific state-level rebate information will be available at the DOE Energy Savers Web site once state plans have been approved by DOE.
