Energize Missouri Appliance Rebate deadline nears

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources has announced that Dec. 11, is the deadline for participants in the Energize Missouri Appliance Rebate program to submit their paperwork. The program ended Oct. 10, and consumers who have reserved rebates before the program ended should submit their paperwork quickly to ensure they receive their rebates. All materials received after the Dec. 11 deadline will not be considered.

More than half of the energy used in homes is for appliances, refrigeration, space heating, cooling and water heating. Replacing old appliances and equipment with those that are ENERGY STARŪ labeled can help families save significantly on their utility bills.

"The response to the Energize Missouri Appliance Rebate program has been fantastic," said Acting Department Director Kip A. Stetzler. Nearly 35,000 Energize Missouri Appliance rebates have been funded. The department has awarded $4.9 million to date and it is anticipated that more than $5.2 million will be awarded though the end of the year. "We were pleased with the tremendous response from retailers, contractors and consumers throughout the state." The Missouri Department of Natural Resources offered the appliance rebates to provide energy efficient appliances at a lower cost to help consumers reduce home utility expenses and to benefit Missouri businesses.

All rebates awarded were for ENERGY STARŪ rated and qualified appliances. Missourians received rebates to purchase energy-saving equipment such as gas furnaces, water heaters, clothes washers, and dishwashers.

The most popular categories of equipment included dishwashers and clothes washers, both with more than 14,000 rebates. Other popular categories were gas furnaces and central air conditioning units. There was a limit of one rebate per appliance category per address and a total rebate limit of $1,300 per household.

Consumers may find additional savings or rebates that continue to be available through their local utility company. Missourians who wish to contact local utilities to explore the availability of utility-based rebates or incentives from their electric or gas utility providers can visit the department's list of providers at: dnr.mo.gov/pubs/pub2396.pdf Information on federal tax incentives can be found at www.energystar.gov.

Funding for the Energize Missouri Appliance Rebate Program is part of a larger $300 million federal program aimed at energy conservation, energy efficiency and economic recovery funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

For more information about the Energize Missouri Appliance Rebate Program, residents or consumers may visit the Web at www.MissouriApplianceRebate.com or by calling toll-free, (877) 541-4848.