Recently, Mass Save announced details on the “Great Appliance Exchange Program”. If you recall, I first mentioned this program in an energy upgrade article in January (see Upgrade Energy Efficiency with Government Money). The program is funded by the Federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, but individual States are allowed to make their own rules and guidelines for administration of the allocated funds. Massachusetts has scheduled their program as an exchange, allowing for households to replace older and inefficient dishwashers, refrigerators, freezers, and clothes washers with new energy star rated models – rebates will be $250, $200, $175, and $50 respectively.
The program will only apply to approved appliances, so please consult the list below to make sure that your purchase will be eligible. To participate in the program you must:
- Make a reservation at www.masssave.com
- Purchase a qualifying appliance (see refrigerators, dishwashers, freezers, and clothes-washers)
- Submit your completed rebate form with a copy of a current electric bill, sales receipt, and delivery documentation confirming replacement of old appliance.
Please note that the online reservation portal will not be open until Earth Day, April 22nd, but it is a limited program so be sure to sign up as soon as possible! If you plan on purchasing more than one appliance, multiple reservations are required, but you can use the same rebate form to claim all appliances.
Unfortunately, not all manufactures and models of Energy Star appliances are covered in the exchange program, but there is still help out there. NStar, Western Mass Electric, Unitil, Caple Light and National Grid are all offering up to $50 in mail in rebates on Energy Star qualified Refrigerators and Freezers. To obtain this rebate please go to www.myenergystar.com and print the main in rebate.
With these two fantastic programs and the estimated hundreds of dollars you can save per year with Energy Star appliances over older traditional models, now is the time to step up and make the move to more efficient appliances.
Keith Munsell 
