Is Another New Appliance on My Horizon?

After writing about the appliance rebate program for energy-saving washers and dishwashers, I just read that the Arizona Energy Office has been charged with creating a program for allocating more than $6 million in rebates to purchasers of other energy efficient appliances. It’s undecided just yet what those appliances will be, but I’m crossing my fingers that a refrigerator or stove are somewhere on that list. A couple of years ago, I purchased a condo that was built in the mid-90s, and it still contained the original appliances. They are about as basic as you can get, are extremely unattractive, and are certainly not energy efficient. While I’ve wanted to update the appliances for quite some time, I’ve been waiting for a good reason to do so. After all, they still work. According to an Arizona Republic article, the Energy Efficiency Appliance Program will allocate $50 to $200 rebates to purchasers of energy-efficient major appliances. Couple that with some rebates that appliance manufacturers are offering, and I could save a significant chunk of change! Many retailers are concerned the program will have some drawbacks, similar to those of the Cash for Clunkers program. While there could be some upsides, most namely the boost in sales this rebate program could provide retailers, I can understand their concerns. The Department of Energy has been handed over the appliance rebate program to determine how it will be structured. Time will tell how it will evolve, but it will be great if they can come up with a rebate program that is beneficial for both retailers and consumers.

I found a new government Home Energy Saver website that will allow you to calculate the potential for energy savings for your house. The site provides local information so that it is more accurate. It allows you to enter all sorts of information about your house, from the number of windows, and on what side of the house, to insulation amount in the ceiling, number of appliances, and the fuel they use.

This is a great start to seeing the money and energy that you can save by “going green“.

Jason
Estimator

SRP’s Solar Hot Water Rebates Have Not Decreased

Even though there is still time to take advantage of the current SRP solar rebates, I’ve had many people tell me they can’t make the financial commitment before the end of the month. If you want to become energy independent, but need to wait on installing a solar system, there are small steps you can take. A solar water heater is less expensive than a complete solar system, and is a step in the right direction. Not to mention, the SRP rebate decrease does not affect solar water heating systems, at least for now.

SRP customers who install a solar water heating system qualify for a payment of $.50/kilowatt hour of energy savings. On top of that, the Arizona government gives a 25 percent credit, up to $1,000, and the federal government offers a 30 percent credit, up to $2,000. These credits and rebates can save you a lot of money! For example, a $5,000 solar system would only cost $1,590 and could save more than $200 a year (depending on energy usage) on your electricity bill. This means the solar water heating system will have paid for itself in less than 7 years. While this option does not completely eliminate an electric bill, it can shave off a chunk of the expense.

There’s no telling when these incentives will decrease or disappear altogether. If you’re curious to know how much a new solar water heating system would cost for your home, give a certified solar installer a call for a quote.

Holly
Public Relations