Iowa Appliance Rebates
For more information, download the Iowa state appliance program fact sheet
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THIS PROGRAM IS CLOSED. AS OF MARCH 1, 2010, THE IOWA OFFICE OF ENERGY INDEPENDENCE IS NO LONGER ACCEPTING NEW APPLICATIONS.
The state of Iowa implemented a mail-in rebate program to help residents replace older, inefficient appliances with new ENERGY STAR® qualified models. The program began March 1, 2010, and ended later that day.
Eligible products include
- Refrigerators
- Clothes washers
- Dishwashers
- Room air conditioners
- Gas storage water heaters
- Electric heat pump water heaters
- Gas tankless water heaters
- Natural gas furnaces
- Propane furnaces
- Gas boilers
- Central air conditioners
- Geothermal heat pumps
- Air source heat pumps
For some categories, rebate amounts vary based on efficiency levels and product size. Consumers are required to certify that a new product being rebated is a replacement product, and that the old unit was disposed of properly.
NOTE: For questions about your rebate such as status, timeline, and rebate amount, please contact your state's program directly through their Web site.
Contact: Iowa Office of Energy Independence
Total Funding: $2,881,000
Program information subject to change. Rebates may be offered for a limited time only. Before purchasing a product, check with your program sponsor to ensure rebates are available, and to confirm product eligibility and program requirements. Products purchased must meet efficiency criteria as established by the state.
Program Impact:
Spotlight on Iowa
$2.7 Million Rebates — in a Day!
Iowans statewide received appliance rebates. The hottest sellers were energy-efficient clothes washers and refrigerators.
How do you make a big impact on a state's economy fast?
If you're the state of Iowa, you announce a rebate program for ENERGY STAR qualified appliances, and you set those rebates high.
"We tried to make the rebates interesting enough so the consumer didn't have to make a choice between the environment and their pocketbook," says Linda King, program planner for the Iowa Office of Energy Independence. "We saw utility rebates moving, but not at a quick pace, so we doubled utility rebates on average."
On March 1, Iowa began offering rebates ranging from $150 to $500 on energy-efficient refrigerators, clothes washers, dishwashers, air conditioners, water heaters, heat pumps, furnaces, and boilers. Within 7 hours, $2.7 million in rebates were in the hands of over 9,000 enthusiastic consumers.
"We had 1.9 million calls and we had 4.6 million Web hits in one day – it was so big, it brought the system down," says King.
The state didn't expect such an overwhelming response, and some consumers were upset they couldn't get through, but King is very pleased with the immediate effects—energy savings for consumers, and benefits for retailers, jobs, and the economy.
"We estimate very conservatively that this propelled Iowa's economy forward by $10 million in one day. It touched Iowa's manufacturers, utilities, consumers, and small businesses throughout the state. That's fantastic!"
state Contact: Linda King, 515-725-0082
DOE Contact: Lani MacRae, 202-586-9193
Visit: www.iowaappliancerebate.com and www.energysavers.gov/rebates
Superior Appliances Sees Superior Sales with Iowa Rebates
The state rebate program allowed many of Deb Keating's customers to afford new appliances, and sometimes more than one!
Between Dubuque and Cedar Rapids, you'll find the charming town of Monticello, population 3,607. Once known as the "Pittsburgh of the Prairie," Monticello is a quintessential small town in the heartland of Iowa.
Deb Keating's family-owned appliance store, Superior Appliances, has been doing business on Main Street since 1977. Deb and her husband started the store and now own and run it with their daughter and niece. Superior carries low- to high-end appliances from a wide cross section of manufacturers.
Iowa's rebate program for energy-efficient appliances couldn't have come at better time, Deb reports. The program launched in March, a traditionally slow sales period. With red, white and blue advertising and large red stars on products throughout the store, Keating attracted lots of new customers, eager to purchase new appliances now made affordable by the rebates.
The rebates also allowed customers to buy more than one appliance at a time: Instead of just going home with the washer, some customers were able to go home with the dryer, too!