NH’s Cash for Appliances (Think Cars)

Last year we all heard about the Cash for Clunkers program where the federal government subsidized a program that helped 2 initiatives – saving energy and stimulating car sales. This year more people should benefit from the Cash for Appliances program which is being funded by the federal government … with each state deciding the details of their own program.

Cash for Appliances in NH

Starts April 19th

Hmmm…
Like me, you might be wondering why the date falls right when home owners should start receiving their tax refunds? Hopefully, you’ll take the hint and consider whether one/more of these appliances makes sense. If you’re one of the unlucky home owners deciding how to recover from the recent floods we’ve had in NH, recognize that all the appliances NH has decided to focus on live in basements where they might have gotten wet during the flooding?

Here is a quick outline of the products you might consider buying this year, when you can benefit from the Cash for Appliance or the existing Energy Star Appliance Rebate Program. I first wrote about the upcoming appliance rebates in January and now the government web sites are full of details, so to recap your choices for investing in budget saving enhancements in 2010. Remember how the Cash for Clunkers ended earlier than anticipated as these programs remain open until available funding is distributed … so don’t wait too long.

• NH Cash for Appliances … details at Office of Energy and Planning
• NH Energy Star Appliance Rebates … details at NH Saves
• Federal Tax Credits for Consumer Energy Efficiency … good through December 2010

Water heater rebates (Cash for Appliances) - Gas hot water heaters generally last 8 to 12 years because they rust out. Electric hot water heaters last 10 to 15 years as they have a glass lining. Tankless hot water heaters claim to have a liftetime of 20/more years but they’re too new to be certain.

• Gas condensing water heaters – $300
• Gas storage water heaters – $100
• Gas tankless water heaters – $300
• Solar water heaters (check for later start date) – $750

Furnace rebates (Cash for Appliances) – Home furnaces should last 13 to 18 years although they need to be maintained for both operating efficiency and to reach their maximum life.

• Gas furnaces (Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency ? 90%) – $300
• Gas furnaces (AFUE ? 85% with ECM) – $400
• Oil furnaces (AFUE ? 85%) – $300
• Oil furnaces (AFUE ? 85% with ECM) – $400

Boiler rebates (Cash for Appliances) – Gas boilers should serve you for 30/more years with good preventive maintenance the key to extending the life of the boiler.

• Gas boilers (AFUE ? 85%) – $500
• Gas boilers (AFUE ? 90%) – $1,000
• Oil boilers (AFUE ? 85%) – $500
• Oil boilers (AFUE ? 90%) – $1,000
• Indoor boiler reset controls – $100

Energy Star clothes washer rebates – $50 (mail-in rebate). Clothes washers will typically last from 10 to 14 years with usage playing a role in the life of the appliance.

Energy Star room air conditioner rebates – $20 (AC rebate form). An Energy Star air conditioner should last 6 to 10 years but like all appliances, it depends on maintenance and usage as they’re not expected to run continuously the way central air conditioning systems do.