Trade-in & Save Appliance Rebate Launches March 1

Trade-in & Save Appliance Rebate Launches March 1

For Immediate Release: Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Minnesota Consumers Can Soon Reserve Appliance Rebates

Beginning Monday, March 1, Minnesota consumers can reserve a rebate application for the purchase of an appliance under the Minnesota Trade-in & Save Appliance Rebate Program.  The program, funded with more than $5 million in federal stimulus funds, will enable more than 25,000 Minnesota households to earn up to $200 for replacing their refrigerator, freezer, dishwasher or clothes washer with a qualifying ENERGY STAR model purchased from a Minnesota retailer.  Only one rebate is allowed per household.

Appliances eligible for a rebate and rebate amounts are as follows:

• clothes washers ($200)
  

• dishwashers ($150)
  

• freezers ($100 with purchase and proof that their old unit has been taken off the grid; $50 for purchase only)
  

• refrigerators ($200 with purchase and proof that their old unit has been off the grid; $100 for purchase only)  
  

The Minnesota Department of Commerce's Office of Energy Security (OES), the state agency responsible for administering the Trade-in & Save program, encourages Minnesota residents to start planning their purchase and use this rebate to "trade up" to the most energy- and water-efficient appliance that fits their budget.  ENERGY STAR appliances can save consumers up to $75 annually in energy costs.

The Trade-in & Save Appliance Rebate Program, part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, is expected to save more than 2.2 million kilowatt hours in electricity, almost 44 million gallons of water and more than 4.7 million pounds of carbon annually.

For more information on the program or to reserve a rebate, residents and retailers should visit: www.mnappliancerebate.com .

To find other energy savings tips and rebates, OES suggests that residents contact their gas or electric company or view the Minnesota's Energy Info Center at www.energy.mn.gov .