• Tax Credits
• Appliance Rebates
• Energy-Efficient Financing

Rebates for ENERGY STAR^® Appliances

You may have been eligible to receive rebates from your state or territory for the purchase of new ENERGY STAR qualified appliances. These rebates were funded with $300 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Under this program, eligible consumers could receive rebates to purchase new energy-efficient appliances when they replaced used appliances.

Note: As of February 17, 2012, all programs have closed and no more rebates are available.

Program Results Are Coming In!

As of December 31, 2011, a total of 1.7 million consumer rebates, valued at $258 million, have been paid to consumers. The annual energy savings resulting from the purchase of the rebated products is estimated at 1.7 trillion Btu. The bar chart, below, shows the distribution of these rebates by major appliances (88%), HVAC (10%), and Water Heater (2%) categories. Download the results fact sheet for the appliance rebate program.

Types of Appliances

More than 70% of the energy used in our homes is for appliances, refrigeration, space heating, cooling, and water heating. Replacing old appliances and equipment with those that are ENERGY STAR labeled can help American families save significantly on their utility bills. Each state and territory has selected its own set of ENERGY STAR qualified products to rebate, based on the DOE list of recommended appliances:

• Boilers
• Central air conditioners
• Clothes washers
• Dishwashers
• Freezers
• Furnaces (oil and gas)
• Heat pumps (air source and geothermal)
• Refrigerators
• Room air conditioners
• Water heaters

Frequently Asked Questions

Who issued the rebates?

Each state designed and ran its own unique Appliance Rebate Program. DOE provided funding to all states, five territories, and the District of Columbia to develop and implement these programs.

Where could I get rebate forms?

Each state ran its own appliance rebate program and published its own rebate forms. Please visit Rebates for ENERGY STAR Appliances where you can find quick overview information on approved appliance rebate programs. In addition, from this page you can click on your state (or the name of your state just below the map) for more information, where you will find specific details such as items that were eligible, fact sheets, spotlight stories, program impacts, and your state's Website which has other information.

How much did each state receive to fund its program?

Each state received an amount proportionate to its population compared to the total U.S. population, with a floor of no less than $100,000. See the complete list of allocations by state.

When did my state's appliance rebate program take effect?

Each state established its own implementation date and communicated the information to its residents. DOE posted the dates each state has launched its program. AS OF FEBRUARY 17, 2012, ALL PROGRAMS HAVE CLOSED AND NO MORE REBATES ARE AVAILABLE.

I just bought an efficient appliance. Will the rebates be available retroactively?

AS OF FEBRUARY 17, 2012, ALL PROGRAMS HAVE CLOSED AND NO MORE REBATES ARE AVAILABLE. When programs were open, only purchases of qualified products made during the specific time period established by each state were eligible for a rebate.

How long did the rebate programs last?

The rebate program continued as long as the states and territories had have money to support it. While they had until February 2012 to spend the money, most programs closed before then. States and territories notified consumers when the funding for rebate program was no longer available.

Who was eligible for a rebate?

The program was for residential consumers. Each state specified exactly who was eligible to participate in its program, and some states limited rebates to only certain types of consumers, e.g., low-income.

Did I have to turn in my old appliance to be eligible for a rebate?

Only purchases that replace an existing appliance were eligible for a rebate. Some states required proof of haul away or recycling to receive a rebate. DOE strongly encouraged the recycling of old appliances purchased under the program. See the ENERGY STAR Recycling page for more information on appliance recycling.

Could I get more than one rebate from my state?

Each state decided if consumers were eligible for more than one rebate when purchasing appliances covered in the program.

What were the rebate amounts?

Each state and territory chose dollar amounts for the products selected. Most rebate amounts ranged from $50 to $500, depending upon the product being purchased, the purchase price, and other potential market factors. Some states gave additional rebates for recycling.

Could consumers combine the rebate with other incentives, such as the federal tax credit or a utility rebate?

A consumer could combine a state rebate with the federal tax credit for the same product, as long as the purchase qualified under the rules of both programs and was not specifically excluded. Consumers may also have been able to combine the state rebate with a local utility rebate, but eligibility must have been verified with both organizations. For more information on additional incentives and rebates, please see the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency.

How much energy can I save when I replace a used appliance with a new ENERGY STAR-qualified model?

Energy savings will depend on the specific appliance and model being replaced, but new ENERGY STAR appliances save significantly more energy than those manufactured years ago. For example, replacing a clothes washer made before 2000 with a new ENERGY STAR model can save up to $130 per year. Replacing a refrigerator made before 1993 with a new ENERGY STAR model can save up to $65 per year. Learn more about ENERGY STAR appliances.
Find out more about the energy savings potential of these products:

• Clothes washers
• Dishwashers
• Refrigerators
• Freezers
• Room air conditioners
• Water heaters
• Central heating and cooling equipment (HVAC)

Why were rebates different state-by-state?

Every state has specific energy needs and the rebate program allowed flexibility to design the right program for that particular state. For example, residents living in warm-weather states may benefit more from the use of energy-efficient air conditioners, while consumers in a cold-weather state would benefit more from efficient furnaces.

What is the ENERGY STAR program?

ENERGY STAR is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy helping consumers save money and protect the environment through energy efficient products and practices. All appliances and products with the ENERGY STAR label meet strict energy efficiency guidelines set by the EPA and the DOE.

Related Links

• American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding for the State Energy Efficient Appliance Rebate Program

• Materials and guidance for states administering the State Energy Efficient Appliance Rebate Program.

Learn More

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