State details its rebates for appliances

SALT LAKE CITY — Folks waiting to buy a furnace or a water heater might want to hold out a little longer. But if, like Glen Jensen, you're in need of a dishwasher, go for it.

Utah has finally announced the start date for and published the list of items for which it will offer rebates as part of the Utah State Energy Efficient Appliance Rebate Program.

The state has nearly $2.35 million in federal stimulus money to help people exchange energy-hog appliances for more-efficient models.

The equivalent of a "cash for clunky appliances" program will kick off May 12. And the covered appliances are clothes washers ($75); room air conditioners ($30); both gas storage ($50) and gas tankless water heaters ($300); and gas furnaces ($300).

Absent from the list are some staples for which other states offered rebates, including dishwashers, freezers and refrigerators.

"That pretty much bums me out," said Jensen, who was shopping for appliances Thursday. "We've been putting it off, waiting for the rebate plan to be unveiled. And a dishwasher's not even on it."

"We consulted with the utilities on what they would like to see us incent," said Chris Tallackson, incentives coordinator for the state energy program, which oversees the rebate program. He noted that the amounts of the incentives are like those offered by the utility companies — and, yes, you can get both if you buy the right appliance — with the exception of storage water heaters. Questar offers up to $100. The state incentive is $50.

Paul Hartman said he thinks that many of his customers will be tickled to get an extra rebate. The owner of Hartman Heating and Air Conditioning said that combining the stimulus rebate with the federal tax credits and local utility company incentives available for high-efficiency furnaces or water heaters takes a chunk out of the price.

"What it means to the consumer — say, one putting in a 95-percent-efficient furnace — is you could get up to 30 percent on that investment up to the $1,500 max and then add these," Hartman said. "Even before this Utah state credit, I can put in the very best furnace for the same out-of-pocket price as the least-efficient furnace, after they get their rebates and tax credits."

The state rebates aren't for just any appliance. There are Energy Star efficiency-rating requirements. And the rebates are not retroactive, so you have to wait until May 12 to buy. Then it's first-come, first-served until the money runs out. And there are some other rules, such as the appliance being for a primary residence, for instance.

Consumers can search for products by efficiency rating at www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=products.pr_find_es_products.

e-mail: lois@desnews.com