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States Extend Cash-for-Clunker to Appliances

by Terrence O'Brien on February 23, 2010 at 02:50 PM

States Extend Cash-for-Clunker to AppliancesThe Cash for Clunkers program drove Americans to go out and buy cars en masse. But cars aren't the only aging and inefficient products that people tend to retain long past their expiration dates. Appliances such as refrigerators and washing machines are often kept until they become a pile of replacement parts, jury-rigged to function only if you know the secret. ("You have to duct tape this switch down, then close the door, and while you hold down the start button kick it three times on the left side.")

Now states are taking some of the federal stimulus money and using it to fund rebate programs for energy-efficient appliances. The exact amount of the rebate depends on individual state programs and what appliance is bought. The consistent hope, though, is that it will encourage consumers to go out and make big-ticket purchases, thus lowering the demand for electricity by removing older, less efficient products from the grid. All rebate-eligible purchases must be Energy Star rated as being 30-percent more efficient than the "standard" model.

The program will eventually end up replacing millions of central air conditioning units, dishwashers, refrigerators, furnaces, and washing machines amongst other products. For more details, you'll have to check the rules regarding your individual state's rebate program here. We're still waiting for a consumer electronics stimulus package, though. One of our editors desperately needs a new MacBook Pro, and we've got a writer eager to trade in his Nintendo 64 for a Wii. [From: USA Today]

Tags: appliances, Cash for Clunkers, CashForClunkers, economic stimulus, EconomicStimulus, energy star, EnergyStar, government, top

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