Cash for Clunkers: A sampling of whacky state programs

29 of the 56 states (and territories) have had their Cash for Clunkers program approved.  We sampled a few of those programs and here are the highlights.

ALASKA
Able bodied need not apply.  This program is only for the disabled.

• Refrigerators / Freezers:  $500 for rural disabled.  $300 for urban disabled.
• Dishwashers / Washers:  $300 for rural disabled.  $150 for urban disabled.

Points for helping the disabled, negative points for not requiring performance above Energy Star, and not requiring recycling.  Do Alaskans really need refrigerators?

DELAWARE
Little bit of money ($30 - $100) for all the Energy Star segments.  No deep thinking here.  No philosophy.  Not much money.  Ho Hum.
Offer retroactive to September 1 2009, which is highly unusual. Most state programs are not.

KANSAS
A program ONLY for the poor
Rebates of $200 to $800 for poor folks only with purchase of ENERGY STAR® refrigerators, clothes washers, freezers, dishwashers and window air conditioners.  Big money for those with no money.  The actuall breakout for each segment is not yet known.
Buyer MUST recycle an old appliances over 10 years old for each qualified purchase.

This program may be too small convering only 4800 units for a specified economic segment, but what it makes up for it with the clear vision of removing old appliances.  Could have been better if it raised the bar beyond Energy Star appliances.

MICHIGAN
All over the place in many different segments.
Washers, Refrigerators, Dishwashers, Furnaces, and Water heaters, with additional rebates if they reach standards above Energy Star. 
Importantly, Michigan requires proof that the old refrigerators have been recycled, but not for the other appliance segments.

• Dishwashers:  $25 for Energy Star models and $50 rebate for Tier 2 CEE models which are more efficient
• Washers:  $50 for Tier 3 CEE certified units
• Refrigerators:  $50 for Energy Star models and $100 for Tier 3 CEE models
• Furnaces....lots of money for that.

We give them points for providing better rebates for higher efficiency, but we ding Michigan for being so bloody cheap on the rebates that they are unlikely to have any sales effect at all.

MISSISSIPPI
Mississippi is supporting every category of Energy Appliances. With no focus, one expects it will be a bloody mess.  Mississippi provides rebates so low that it won’t be worth putting the tires back on the Camaro.

NEW HAMPSHIRE
A program so flimsy, it's almost self-serve.

• Washers:  $50 for Energy Star units
• Air Conditioners:  $20 for Energy Star units

How they came up with these rebate amounts and segments, we will never know.

NEW YORK

• Refrigerators:  $75 ($30 more if the old unit is recycled)
• Freezers:  $75 ( $25 more if the old unit is recycled)
• Dishwashers:  $50 ($25 more if the old unit is recycled)
• Package:  $500 for 3 appliance package including refrigerator, clothes washer, and diswasher (if CEE qualified) ($50 more if the old units are recycled)

The Let’s Make a Deal school of Rebates. Fairly Complex but their heart is in the right place. We love it.

NORTH DAKOTA
One of the best.
Simple simple simple. $150 for full size replacement refrigerators, with proof of disposal of old refrigerator.
This is one of the best programs anywhere.  Could only be improved by raising the efficiency bar above Energy Star levels.

WASHINGTON STATE
Simple program, high bar, yet too cheap on the rebate.

• Refrigerators: Only super efficient models. Only 116 of the 1279 Energy Star certified models qualify. But they only give $75. Also they provide rebates for piggish Side by Sides which are nearly 1/3 less efficient than top or bottom mounts that do not qualify for this program. 
• Clothes Washers $100 for the purchase of modified units with energy factor >2.46.  If we read this correctly these are the very best washers out there, and only a small fraction of units qualify.  $100 won’t make a dent.