Posted on 08/20/2009 8:31:04 AM PDT by rightwingintelligentsia
Another wave of subsidies are on the way, this time for the home appliance market.
Trading in old home appliances will soon earn consumers up to $200 towards the purchase of high-efficiency upgrades. The program, authorized by Congress earlier this year, will be capped at $300 million taxpayer dollars, and will apply to household appliances like refrigerators, washing machines, and dishwashers, as well as furnaces and air-conditioning systems.
The existing cash for clunkers auto program is on its second round of funding, and struggling U.S. automakers Ford (NYSE: F - News) and GM (OTC: MTLQQ - News) are both upping production in response to demand from dealers. Appliance makers and retailers are hoping to see similar results, as the industry has suffered amid lagging home sales.
(Excerpt) Read more at finance.yahoo.com ...
That figures. I bought a new washer and dryer earlier this year. Darn! I’m always out of the loop.
Words fail me.
Great! My ‘fridge is 10 years old. I can get $200 for it!
Oh wait... then I have to spend $1200 for a new one. Never mind.
Ditto.
Why am I not surprised? Look at me, NOT being surprised!
Our local news is reporting that this is happening all over the U.S.
The government can't even handle a simple rebate program, and some want them to run our entire healthcare system?
I would like to know how cash for clunkers ran out of money when the DEALERS never GOT their money. Where'd the money GO?
Hey Obango!....shove your subsidy!
Just tell me when the cash for clunker American presidents begins!.....
My appliances are 20 years old - oh, but they all seem to work. I agree - never mind.
Exactly.
re: The existing cash for clunkers auto program is on its second round of funding
No it’s not. It’s on its second round of promises, not funding. There’s a huge difference between the two when it comes to dealing with the feds!
I hope my wife doesn’t turn me in.
Hang on.....free rice cookers are just around the corner!
I am visualizing a Sub Zero Refrigerator and a Wolf Range, the Three Card Monty bate and switch, will cover it right?/Just Asking - seoul62.......
Do we even make appliances in the US anymore? This program must be on China’s behalf...
When I found out the repairs to my circa 1985 refrigerator would cost $982, we bought a new refrigerator during the sales tax free “buy energy-saving appliances” week here in Missouri. I have to admit, this new refrigerator is pretty nice; manufacturers have made lots of refinements in the past 25 years.
LSAggie (posting on hubby’s account)
My Amana stainless steel fridge has fingerprints on it again. I WANT CASH FOR MY CLUNKER!
Both my adult children have purchased expensive washers and dryers in the past few years and had nothing but problems with them.
I’ll keep the 15 yr old Maytags going as long as I can.
I got you beat. Not only did the washer and dryer both go out this month, but so did the fridge. I won’t say how long the dishwasher has been out and we haven’t had the $$$ to replace it. The $10 we got yesterday at the recycling center for the dryer didn’t pay for the gas over there. Isn’t credit card interest supposed to go up on this next billing cycle?
Maybe it’s time for a new fridge....hehehehe
We got a couple of high-efficiency washers from Sears last year. There were a couple of energy-star subsidies, I think, although not as large as this. I got them to save on the electic bills, and I think I am doing so. So far, they work very well.
Well, we need a new dryer, so maybe I can do that this fall.
I loved my old one, but it broke. We got the repair guy out and it turned out two things had gone out at once and either of them costs nearly the same as a new one to repair. It was about 10 years old (not old for a washer) but what can you do? I’m not going to go and wash them in the bath tub! I do like my new ones tho. My front loader washer and dryer are on stands so I don’t have to bend down anymore. Easier on my old back.
Already bought a new one of those, too.
I have been nursing along my 14 year old fridge. It works ok, but the light is now broken and a few other odd things. I think it’s on borrowed time.
And, my dishwasher is pretty noisy. Came with the house, and I would LOVE to replace it. Builders usually put in really cheapies. But the darn thing runs fine.
>I got you beat. Not only did the washer and dryer both go out this month, but so did the fridge.<
Have you noticed drops in your electricity, before the appliances went out? Lightning storms around us have been ferocious, as have electrical outages.
We’ve lost a capacitor in our 3 year old heat pump and a digital tv receiver in the past month. Knock wood, the new refrigerator is still hanging on. I’m really considering putting surge protectors on all of my expensive electrical stuff.
No, they were all about 20 years old but they didn't have to gang up and all go out at the same time.
I’ve seen this, but haven’t done it yet. A surge supressor that is wired into your main panel. Then your whole house is protected.
When it rains, it pours. I know it’s cliche, but it’s true. In a little over a year period, all of our major appliances (stove, refrigerator, washer, drier, dishwasher, and air conditioner) all bit the dust and had to be replaced. This happened about three years ago.
I wonder if they’ll trade in my old electric baseboard heaters for a new gas furnace. Oh wait......electric rates don’t fluctuate as bad as natural gas. So, no thanks.
>I’ve seen this, but haven’t done it yet. A surge supressor that is wired into your main panel. Then your whole house is protected.<
That would be great. I’m going to check on how to get one. It sure beats having suppressors all over the house.
Just bought a new LG Tromm Steamwasher and matching dryer. Could have used the 200. This frontloader washes cleaner, is gentler to the clothes, and uses less water and electricity. Also, it spins at 1200 rpm, so the clothes are practically dry when I take them out, so they just need a little fluffing up in the dryer, so it saves dryer electricity, too. The government should encourage front load washer purchases, but with incentives like tax rebates.
As is the case with any government-run program, most of the funds for CFC went towards paying salaries to the bureaucrats who "oversee" [sic] the program.
Yeah, no way I would sink that amount into repairs. I must admit I was salivating a bit when I went over to my neighbor’s house and heard how quiet her dryer was. It looked like she had a new W & D, maybe LG brand.
Dang. I came home Tuesday night to a dead 20 year old Frigidaire refrigerator.
They delivered the new Whirlpool refrigerator yesterday.
A friend got one of those. They were too pricey for me, and I had heard some not so great things about them, however as far as I know my friend LOVES hers. I like my Duet pair, altho the washer does tend to walk on occasion.
Come 2010 we’ll trade in our clunker politicians.
Ours was on borrowed time, and I sure didn’t want it to die during the summer heat. I could replace the refrigerator light, but there was no way to get to the freezer light bulb, and, dang, it was dark in there when you were looking for something! Since we bought a new refrigerator from Sears, they applied the $65 service call cost to the cost of the new refrig., plus not paying sales tax was very, very nice!
LSAggie (posting on hubby’s account)
What gets me is that 10 years ago they said replacing a 10 year old refrigerator would save all kinds of electricity. Now they say if you replace that refrigerator that you bought ten years ago now you’ll save a whole bunch more energy. I would expect the refrigerators 10 years from now actually will produce energy.
Except that I got an A in thermodynamics in college.
We replaced the light but it still didn’t work. Hubby told me to call a repairman, but I’d rather live with it dark than pay the service charge. Besides, it’s old,and if I get that fixed it will likely break down, so that I can waste more money! Isn’t that how it works?
Actually, I’m more concerned that our AC is on borrowed time. That’s not something I could live without here in S. FL.
My side by side frige is 20 years old and I spent over $1500 for it back then and a new one would cost close to that if not more. It still works so I will pass on this deal. Too bad I already replaced my dishwasher earlier this year though.
You know under $1500 Energy Credit program the feds have, air conditioners are included. It runs for two years, so you’ve got plenty of time left to ~nurse~ yours along.
If you do replace your a/c, I can highly recommend the Trane XR series. We had to replace the complete central ac/heat and decided on the Trane after much research and comparison. Also, if you can, get a system that is a ton over what is needed for your square footage ... ours hardly runs even on a 100 degree/90 percent humidity day. Summer electric bills are 1/3 less than they were. We couldn’t be more pleased.
Thanks for that info. Last year when the guy came out and did the check up etc he said he thought it would not make another year. He said the same thing this year, but hubby looked at the coils, and they ARE in bad shape. So, one day, I suspect I simply won’t have air!
Really! OK, I will tell hubby. I think we put a Trane in our TX house when that one went out (actually, we had 2 for that house, I think we replaced both, but it’s been a few years). Our house here is small, so probably doesn’t take a very big one!
U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced Tuesday the availability of nearly $300 million in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for state-run rebate programs for consumer purchases of new Energy Star-qualified home appliances.
“Appliances consume a huge amount of our electricity, so there’s enormous potential to both save energy and save families money every month,” said Chu. “These rebates will help families make the transition to more efficient appliances, making purchases that will directly stimulate the economy and create jobs.”
Eligible Appliances
States have the flexibility to select which residential Energy Star-qualified appliances to include in their programs and the individual rebate amount for each appliance. DOE recommends that states and territories focus their program efforts on heating and cooling equipment, appliances, and water heaters as these products offer the greatest energy savings potential.
Energy Star-qualified appliance categories eligible for rebates include:
central air conditioners
heat pumps (air source and geothermal)
boilers
furnaces (oil and gas)
room air conditioners
clothes washers
dishwashers
freezers and refrigerators
water heaters
The new funding will be awarded to states and territories, through their energy offices, using a formula set forth in the Energy Policy Act of 2005. Each state or territory is required to submit a plan that specifies:
Which Energy Star appliance categories will be included in their rebate program
The rebate level for each product type
How the rebates will be processed, and
Their plan for recycling old appliances
States and territories must first file an initial application expressing their intent to participate by Aug. 15, 2009, followed by a full application by Oct. 15, 2009. Approximately 10 percent to 25 percent of each award will be spent on administrative costs.
States and territories will receive 10 percent of the funds after submitting the initial application with the balance awarded after their program plans are approved. DOE anticipates that a vast majority of funding will be awarded by Nov. 30, 2009.
The complete Funding Opportunity Announcement, under number DE-FOA-0000119, can be viewed at Grants.gov.
To see the funding allocations for each state, Click Here.
http://www.energy.gov/recovery/documents/EE_EnergyStar_State_Allocations.pdf
funding allocations for each state
I strongly suspect any appliance program will have a similar problem.
So they are going to spend about $50MM setting up a program and the individual states will spend another $40 to $50MM administering a plan that will distribute somewhere around $300MM sometimes around 2012...
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