California Energy Commission Allocation of government appliance rebate Program: $35.2 million

California‘s Appliance Rebate Program

The California Appliance Rebate program is expected to be in full swing in early spring 2010. The Energy Commission has submitted its proposed Appliance Rebate Program design to the U.S. Department of Energy on October 14, 2009.

California has been allocated $35.2 million in federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds to participate in the State Energy Efficient Appliance Rebate Program (SEEARP). The California Energy Commission will administer the SEEARP that will provide rebates to consumers for purchasing ENERGY STAR^®-qualified home appliances during the rebate period.

The California appliance rebate program will:

·         Save energy by replacing inefficient appliances with more efficient ones.

·         Make rebates for efficient appliances available to residential consumers.

·         Leverage the ARRA funds with existing rebate programs and partnerships.

·         Keep administrative costs low while meeting the federal monitoring and evaluation requirements.

·         Provide state and national rebate tracking and accountability.

·         Use current ENERGY STAR consumer education and outreach materials.

Three home appliance categories were selected to be eligible to receive appliance rebates:

1.       Clothes Washers (proposed rebate $100)

2.       Refrigerators (proposed rebate $75)

3.       Room air conditioners (proposed rebate $50).

To qualify for the California appliance rebate, the appliances must be ENERGY STAR-listed and certified to the Energy Commission as meeting all state and federal appliance efficiency standards.

Frequently Asked Questions About The California rebate program:

What is the State Energy Efficient Appliance Rebate Program (SEEARP)?

The federal government is providing American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds to augment existing appliance rebate programs. California has been allocated $35.3 million in ARRA funds to participate in this program. The California Energy Commission will administer the SEEARP that will provide rebates to consumers for purchasing ENERGY STAR qualified home appliances.

Can I get my rebate now?

Not yet. The Energy Commission expects the ARRA funds by the end of 2009 and anticipates launching the California Appliance Rebate program by early 2010. Right now, the Energy Commission is designing the Appliance Rebate program, which has to be approved by the DOE.

What appliances are eligible?

Appliances must be ENERGY STAR listed; however, the specific appliances eligible for California’s Appliance Rebate Program haven’t been determined. The Energy Commission is using the list of “pre-screened” appliances from the Department of Energy (DOE) to help identify the California eligible appliances.

Will the State of California be offering rebates?

Not directly. The Energy Commission is looking for partners to help implement this program. Partners may include utilities, retailers, manufacturers and others.

Will I have to turn in my old appliance?

That’s always a good idea for energy savings whether it’s required or not; however, the requirements for appliance recycling for California’s rebate program have not been decided.

Who qualifies for rebates?

All California residential consumers who buy a qualified home appliance during the rebate period.

Will rebates be awarded retroactively for purchases already made?

No. Rebates will only be given to eligible California residential consumers for qualified appliances purchased during a time period in 2010 that has yet to be determined.

How will I know when these rebates are available?

Retailers will be providing information in stores for those appliances covered under the California appliance rebate program.  

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