The Decatur Minute

A Message from the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority

Georgia residents again have the opportunity to apply for rebates ranging from $25 to $199 on ENERGY STAR-rated appliances beginning November 17th. Approximately $800,000 in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds remain available for rebates on ENERGY STAR appliances such as clothes washers, dishwashers, air conditioners, heat pumps, furnaces, water heaters, refrigerators and freezers. Purchases made prior to February 12, 2010, are not eligible. During the first phase of the program, 104,971 rebates were approved totaling more than $8.7 million.

“We are excited to provide Georgians who may not have been able to participate in the program earlier this year a second opportunity to receive rebates on the purchase of energy-efficient appliances,” said GEFA Executive Director Kevin Clark.

Following the appliance purchase, customers will be responsible for immediately applying for the rebate at www.GeorgiaRebate.com or by calling toll-free 1-866-296-1633. When the application process is complete, a rebate form will be provided through the website or via U.S. mail if the toll-free number is used to apply. The rebate form and a copy of the sales receipt will then be mailed by the customer to the address on the rebate form. The sales receipt must verify that a qualifying ENERGY STAR appliance was purchased. Qualified appliances must be purchased from a retailer within the state of Georgia. Online and out-of-state purchases do not qualify.

Once the rebate claim is physically received and the receipt is verified, the customer’s rebate will be approved and payment will be mailed. Rebates will be issued in the form of a Visa^® Prepaid Card preloaded with the rebate amount within two to three weeks from mailing the required forms and receipts. Guides for retailers and consumers are available at www.GeorgiaRebate.com.

Participants are required to recycle refrigerators and freezers and are strongly encouraged to recycle all other appliances. Recycling arrangements can be coordinated with the retailer or by visiting www.YouGottaBeKidding.org.

The following chart provides a breakdown of the eligible ENERGY STAR appliances and the corresponding rebate levels. For clothes washers, dishwashers and gas storage water heaters, two rebate levels are available due to different energy efficiency ratings.