Cash for Appliances Plus Program Extends to HVAC Systems

The Big Deal
The "Plus" in the new Cash for Appliances Plus program is big news for consumers still trying to weigh replacing
their old comfort system with something far more efficient. In a market where things are getting better slowly but are still
uncertain, the price tag for that new HVAC system is still quite high. While looking for a rock bottom price is usually not the
best route to take when your talking about having a contractor working with high voltage electrical, flammable natural gas,
and high pressure freon, you also don't want to invest as much as buying a small car. Simply put, the state of CA has secured
millions of dollars in Federal money to incentivize consumers to upgrade old appliances with new energy efficient models.
The original program only allowed for up to a $200 rebate for qualifying washers, refrigerators, and room a/c units. Not enough
consumers were taking advantage of these rebates, using up the funds before the funding end date of Feb 2012. A new
proposal was made and approved to extend the program to HVAC, and other equipment, good news indeed!

Choose Wisely
Cash for Appliances is targeting residential consumers who have existing central systems that hurt the pocketbook to run and
are looking to reduce their energy bills and increase comfort. Choosing the right contractor will be the key to your success in
taking advantage of this program. One of the two big requirements of the plus program is a signed off building permit, making
sure everything is installed safely and to code. This does add some cost to your project, but contractors who are not pulling
these permits will not be able to get you the rebates and are gambling with the safety of your family. Make sure the contractor
you choose will take care of the permitting process!

Smart companies are helping their customers take advantage of factory rebates offered by many brands, local utility rebates,
federal tax credits, and now Cash for Appliances rebates. That's one of the great things about this new program it's not about
choosing one rebate or the other, they can combine for some truly big savings, never before seen in our industry. The other
big requirement of the Cash for Appliances program is recycling your old units. Contractors must recycle the old equipment
at a certified recycling center and get the rebate application signed by them, showing "proof of recycling". Again the contractor
you choose should take care of this for you.

The Process
So the typical process should start with you choosing the contractor you feel best understands your needs and can deliver the
right system you want, taking advantage of the most rebates possible while staying within your budget. Then after your system
is professionally installed to your approval, and any duct testing that is required is completed, an inspection is scheduled,
and corrections are made (if needed), finally the permit is signed off. Next you finalize your payment and your contractor
should send all required paperwork and applications for your Cash for Appliances rebates within 120 days of purchase.
After talking with the Energy Commission the turnaround time for receiving your rebate can be 10-11 weeks after they approve
the application.

• Choose the right contractor
• Get a professional installation
• Duct testing (HERS) if required
• Final inspection
• Finalize payment
• Contractor mails rebate application
• 10-11 weeks to receive rebate

The Breakdown

Here is a grid of available rebates for HVAC equipment:



The tiers are based on different efficiency levels. A Customer can receive a rebate for both an air conditioner and a furnace, but
these would be separate applications packets.


Here is a breakdown of the program funds:

Original program funds-
$35, 200,000 Allocated Federal Funds
-$3,520,000 Program administrative costs
= $31, 680,000 Final rebate amount available for CA residents

Current Funds available-
$31,680,000
-$13, 279,800 Rebate amount requested from 88,532 applications
= $18,400,200 Cash remaining (estimated)


Most of the rebate applications already sent in were based on an average of $150 per application. Now with the new Plus program
rebates are opened up to a possible $1300 per customer! You can see these funds will go quickly so if your in the market for that new
system but have been holding out for the best deal you could get, well this is it. Never before have so many rebates and discounts been
combined to add up to savings like these.

Since there will be many questions about this new program that are not covered here, we have made details available on our website
on this page: Cash for Appliances Plus

For more info you can also go to the Cash for Appliances website at: www.cash4appliances.org
or call the Energy Commission Rebate Hotline at : 1-888-390-4034