Rebates should boost Energy Star sales - Jacksonville Business Journal:

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“This rebate program will help Floridianxs buy appliances atdiscount rates, lowe r utility costs and benefi t Florida businesses by stimulating sales of energy-efficient Gov. Charlie Crist said in a pressa releaseMay 18. Although the bill was signed last the projected time for the programm to be administered is probably sometime this Consumers will not be eligible for the rebates until then becaused some of the detailss of the program stillp need to beworkeds out, said Jeremy Susac, the executive directo r of Crist’s Energy Office.
The specific amounts for the rebates must be approvex by the legislativebudget committee, and Crist’s officwe is still waiting for guidancwe from the federal government on how exactly the program will Susac said. The FECC is expectint Florida toreceive $18 million in federal stimulus funds to provide the rebate program. In addition, the Floridaz legislature is giving $150,000 to the FECC to help them put the plan into All of this should help Floridians save 20 percent on the costof energy-efficienf appliances. “This is what we are projecting,” Susac said. “Wew are looking at 20 percent all acroszthe board.
” With the 20 percent rebate, consumere could save $290 on refrigerators, $200 on washing freezers and dishwashers, $65 on room air conditioneras and $40 on dehumidifiers. Only laundry and kitche n home appliances with the Energy Star label will be eligible forthe discount. All Energyh Star appliances meet strict energyh efficiency guidelines set by the Environmental Protection Agencyyand U.S.
Department of Energy, but certain items like flat screenb televisions arenot included, Susac Even though they use the most energy out of all the home certain kitchen items like microwaves, oven s and stove tops are also not includedd because they have yet to be regulateds by Energy Star in the United said Michael Setzer, the ownedr of Setzer’s appliance dealer in Jacksonville. Energy Star appliancea do cost an averageof $50 to $100 more than the standar d versions because of the advanced technologies, he said, but the rebate should lighten the costs, making it almosy cheaper to buy the Energt Star product.
“You don’t have to spenrd $1,000 to have an Energy Star,” Setzer said. “Energy Star has cheaper model now. I have a $300 dishwashetr and a $800 refrigerator in my store that are allEnergyu Star.” In addition, the investment will cause consumers’ utility bills to go down in dollar amount. Customerxs should recover their costs ofthe energy-efficient appliance on theie monthly bills within five to six According to Energy Star’s Web site, their appliancezs can save consumers $75 a year in energy costs, and they use 10 to 20 percen t less energy and water than traditionalp models, making them better for the For example, a front-loading Energy Star washinyg machine uses 16 to 18 gallons of water versus the traditional top-loadin g appliance that uses 40 “I don’t know if our salesd will go up because the customers will stilp have to put out the full amount,” Setzerf said.
“But any increase in salew willbe great, and it woulrd be a great thing for people to get theif money back.” Business has been slow during the economic downturn at both Setzer’s locations here in Jacksonvillr and Ocala, but it’s still going pretty steady becausew people are always going to need refrigeratoras and dishwashers, he said. In addition, 75 to 80 percent of the appliancex he sells areEnergy Star, so Setzerf said he’s very hopeful. Energy Star is also exciteds for the rebate program to go into effect because the Florida proposalis unprecedented, an Energy Star spokesperson said.
In years rebates have caused a jump intheir sales, but they have never had a rebate program like this