Helping you save money on energy efficient appliances

Dear Neighbor,

I am writing to inform you about exciting cash rebates and energy efficiency tips to help you save money. I also wanted to update you on my efforts to make New York a leader in the new energy economy of the 21st century.

Inside, there are details on “New York’s Great Appliance Swap Out”, which provides rebates for buying new, energy efficient appliances like refrigerators and clothes washers. Also, you will find home and auto energy saving tips and information on home energy conservation tax credits.

As Chair of the Assembly Energy Committee, I am privileged to help guide New York’s efforts toward energy independence. The new energy economy will give New York the same advantages nationally that the Erie Canal did when it made us the Empire State 200 years ago.

We are well on our way. Recently, I led the fight for the most ambitious energy planning law in the nation. As a result, we now have a responsible plan for developing New York’s abundant resources while maximizing efficiency and investing in infrastructure, smart growth and green innovation.

I worked to ensure funding to attract solar companies to the Hudson Valley and create programs at Ulster BOCES and SUNY Ulster to help people build careers in clean energy. I was a leader in creating Green Jobs/Green New York and Municipal Sustainable Energy Loan Programs to help homeowners, businesses and not-for-profits lower energy costs through efficiency.

In the end, thousands of skilled, permanent and well paying jobs will make our community and our economy greener and stronger. New York’s new energy economy will pay dividends for decades. I look forward to working with you in these efforts.

Kevin A. Cahill
Member of Assembly

District Office
Governor Clinton Building
One Albany Ave., Suite G-4
Kingston, NY 12401
(845) 338-9610
cahillk@assembly.state.ny.us

The average homeowner spends about $2,200 per year on energy bills. To help lower those costs—and benefit the environment—New York State will provide consumers with rebates for purchasing ENERGY STAR-rated refrigerators, clothes washers, freezers and dishwashers during Presidents Week 2010 (Feb. 12-21). The program will allow the state to issue more than 170,000 rebates totaling $16.8 million, funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Customers purchasing appliances during this window may qualify for the following individual rebates:

Refrigerators:
$75 ($105 with documented recycling of old appliance)

Clothes washers:
$75 ($100 with documented recycling of old appliance)

Freezers:
$50 ($75 with documented recycling of old appliance)

Dishwashers:
Rebates are only available for dishwashers when they are purchased as part of an approved three-appliance package (dishwasher, refrigerator, clothes washer). These will qualify for a $500 rebate ($550 with documented recycling of old appliance).

Many retailers are expected to offer free recycling to make it easier to receive the maximum rebate, and NYSERDA is coordinating efforts with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation so consumers can also recycle their appliances at local landfills, waste stations and recycling centers.

For more information, visit www.getenergysmart.org.

Credits and incentives up to $1,500 are available to homeowners who invest in energy-efficient improvements such as adding insulation, energy-efficient windows, heating and air conditioning systems. Additionally, homeowners who install alternative residential energy equipment—like solar heating systems—may qualify for a credit equal to 30 percent of the cost. To qualify, improvements must be placed into service in 2010.