URGENT CALL TO ACTION: Federal Appliance Rebates

$300 million is being provided by the Feds to State Energy Departments to rebate consumer purchases of Energy Star appliances.  State's must apply for their funds, and may disperse the funds benefiting some categories but not others.  For example Hot Water instead of refrigerators.
Rebates will ONLY go to Energy Star products, but not all Energy Star products will get rebates.  Each state can define their own program.
The Federal grants are about $1 per capita or $1 X the state population.  (New Mexico gets $1.8 million)

SCHEDULE OF STATE APPLICATIONS
Fed Release of program July 15.
State "intent" to apply are due by August 15.
State full application are due by October 15.
Some funds are dispersed to the state immediately.  All by November 30.

CONTACT YOUR OWN STATE'S DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY IMMEDIATELY.  LIKE THIS WEEK..........
Calmly...........hmmmm, make that frantically express your desire that major appliances be the prime recipient of funds since most of the other bloody categories already have rebate programs.

For summary of program.

For full details of this program.
     Change option marked "Title" to "Reference Number"
     Enter Reference Number:  DE-FOA-0000119
     Nevermind the registration.....ignore that.  Go to far right and click on "Funding Opportuntiy Announcement DE-FOA-0000119"
Visit the Attachments section for all possible Energy Star products.

Our suggestion is that only Top Mount or Bottom Mount refrigerators without Ice or Water dispensor should qualify.  The rebate should be $100....or about 20% of the retail price.
We also suggest that Dishwashers of a certain efficiency also qualify with a performance above and beyond simple Energy Star.