(Corrected, March 26)
PROVIDENCE – Beginning Thursday, Rhode Island residents can apply for government rebates when they purchase energy-efficient appliances and heating systems.
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The federal government allocated $300 million in last year’s economic stimulus law for states to offer appliance rebate programs. Of that total, $882,000 is available to Rhode Island residents through the state’s new Energy Efficient Appliance Rebate Program.
The R.I. Office of Energy Resources is offering rebates on a first-come, first-served basis to residents who replace an existing appliance with a new, Energy Star-certified machine.
The Energy Star program, which is jointly managed by the Energy Department and the Environmental Protection Agency, was created in 1992 to help consumers find efficient machines. More than 40,000 different products now carry the Energy Star label.
Rhode Island is offering the largest rebates – $500 – for oil and gas boilers and the smallest ($100) for oil and gas furnaces. Dishwashers, freezers, refrigerators and some water heaters are also eligible.
“The goal of this rebate program is to reduce energy consumption by replacing older, inefficient appliances with Energy Star-qualified appliances,” Ronald Renaud, executive director of the R.I. Department of Administration, said in a news release.
In addition, he added, “the program will stimulate our local economy, as appliances must be purchased from a Rhode Island dealer.”
In order to qualify for a rebate, the new appliance must be purchased within 15 days of rebate approval. Purchases prior to March 25 do not qualify, and the appliances cannot be bought online.
For more information or to apply for a rebate, visit rirebates.com or call (877) 359-5795.
An earlier version of this article incorrectly said the total amount of rebates available in Rhode Island was $822,000; the actual figure was $882,000.
