Latest in Stimulus: 'Cash for Refrigerators'

[ColonialMarine0431]

It reads like something you'd find at The Onion or The People's Cube, but it's real. Someone in the media recently made a joke about Cash for Clunkers stating that Cash for Refrigerators, Dishwaters etc would soon be coming.

You can make this sh*t up. This admin is a constant source of amusement & horror.  

Latest in Stimulus: 'Cash for Refrigerators'

Coming this fall, a clunkers-type program to boost sales of energy-efficient home appliances will authorize rebates of $50 to $200

By Matthew Boyle

A $300 million cash-for-clunkers-type federal program to boost sales of energy-efficient home appliances provides a glimmer of hope for beleaguered makers of washing machines and dishwashers, but it's probably not enough to lift companies such as Whirlpool (WHR) and Electrolux out of the worst down cycle in the sector's history.

Beginning late this fall, the program authorizes rebates of $50 to $200 for purchases of high-efficiency household appliances. The money is part of the broader economic stimulus bill passed earlier this year. Program details will vary by state, and the Energy Dept. has set a deadline of Oct. 15 for states to file formal applications. The Energy Dept. expects the bulk of the $300 million to be awarded by the end of November. (Unlike the clunkers auto program, consumers won't have to trade in their old appliances.)

SOURCE

[Chris]

You can make this sh*t up. This admin is a constant source of amusement & horror.  

What you said.

Where does the money come from?  Is this stimulus money?  Is it in the federal budget?  Probably just more of Timmy Geithner's Monopoly money.

[thundley4]

WTF?????

Ameren Illinois Utilities Want Customers' Old, Secondary Refrigerators
Receive $35 Now, Save $100 in a Year
Feb 02, 2009

PEORIA, Ill., Feb. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Ameren Illinois Utilities electric customers can receive $35 now and save on electricity bills in the months to come by turning off and turning in their old, inefficient secondary refrigerator or freezer through a new Ameren Illinois Utilities program.

"The old refrigerators and freezers that are being used in garages and basements waste large amounts of energy," said Karen Warnke, Ameren Illinois Utilities Customer Service business consultant. "A standard size secondary refrigerator might cost $100 or more a year to operate.

"In addition, this program will benefit the environment. By recycling these refrigerators, the demand for electricity can be reduced. When less electricity is generated, fewer greenhouse gases are released into the atmosphere," Warnke said.

Electric customers must first determine if they are eligible for the program. The refrigerator or freezer must be operating as a secondary unit located in a garage or basement. Also, the unit must be of standard size and manufactured before 1993.

Eligible Ameren Illinois Utilities electric customers should call 1-866- 899-9088 to schedule a pickup of their refrigerator or freezer. The call center is open Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and on Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

This program is offered on a first come basis until funds for the first program year are exhausted. The program year ends on May 31, 2009. Additional funds will be available beginning June 1, 2009, running through May 31, 2010.

  http://ameren.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=601

I like this idea better than the federal government being involved and using tax dollars to bail out more union jobs.

[JohnnyReb]

WTF?????   http://ameren.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=601

I like this idea better than the federal government being involved and using tax dollars to bail out more union jobs.

Yeah but most probably those jobs are in China.....or somewhere besides here.

[Chris]

There's a Whirlpool factory a few miles from here.  My sister worked there after high school.

[NHSparky]

Utilities (of whom I've worked for a couple) all have similar programs.  Believe it or not, getting rid of old and inefficient freezers and refrigerators helps both the customers and the utility reduce grid problems on critical days and times.

That being said, it should be up to the utility to provide those incentives, not the government.