Urge Your State to Use Stimulus Funds for ‘Cash for Clunkers’ Water Efficiency Program - Deadline October 15!

The U.S. Department of Energy has announced the State Energy Efficient Appliance Rebate Program, which will be providing states with $300 million to design and implement rebate programs that encourage consumers to turn in their old, inefficient appliances for new energy efficient ENERGY STAR models. Water-efficient dishwashers and clothes washers are included under the ENERGY STAR label and should be targeted to receive the biggest rebates.

UPDATE: The deadline for states to submit their Energy Efficient Appliance Rebate plans has passed, but you can still play a vital role in making sure your community knows about the rebates available and the benefits of purchasing more efficient dishwashers and clothes washers. Contact your state energy office to find out when rebates will be available and the value of the rebates that go toward water-using appliances, then do what you can to encourage your community to take advantage of the opportunity to get a discount on appliances that save water, energy and money off utility bills.

To help our Partners take advantage of this opportunity, River Network has compiled information on how much money your state can expect to receive and how you can work with your state’s energy office to ensure that these funds go toward appliances that will save both water and energy. States have until October 15th to apply for the program.

From now until October 15, we encourage grassroots river and watershed groups across the country to contact the energy offices in their states and encourage them provide rebates that will realize the multiple benefits of saving energy by saving water.

By allotting the largest rebates to dishwashers and clothes washers you can help households save more money on their utility bills, protect rivers by reducing water demand, save energy and curb greenhouse gas emissions. ENERGY STAR qualified dishwashers use 31% less energy and 33% less water than conventional machines, while qualifying clothes washers cut energy costs by more than one-third and reduce water usage by 50%.

In the same way that energy efficiency can save billions of dollars by avoiding the development of new energy supplies, water efficiency can save a comparable amount of money by avoiding the costs of developing new water supplies.

Take Action to Create ‘Cash for Water Clunkers’ Program

• Download the spreadsheet of Contact Information for State Energy Efficient Appliance Rebate Program so that you can find out how much funding your state is slated to receive and collect the contact information for your state’s energy office in charge of designing and implementing the rebate program.

• Call your state’s energy office and explain to them why they should prioritize water using appliances such as clothes washers and dishwashers with a minimum rebate of $250 per unit.

• Download and fill in the Water & Energy Efficient Appliance Rebate Letter. Modify the letter to fit your needs, collect signatures and send it to your state’s energy office.

• Tell your community about the opportunity to receive federal funding for water and energy efficient appliances and encourage them to trade in their old clunkers for affordable new ENERGY STAR models.

It is also important that your state sets up a recycling program for old appliances so that they don't end up in a landfill.

For more information on the program read River Network’s blog post: Take Action to Encourage ‘Cash for Water Clunkers’ Program.

Or visit the Department of Energy’s State Energy Efficient Appliance Rebate Program page.