Incentives and Rebates

On the website www.incentivesandrebates.com, there are many different offers that one can find to help preserve or sustain the renewable and non-renewable sources that we have access to.

One that I found most effective was obtaining percentage rebates on the purchase price of ENERGY STAR products. These products include refrigerators, clothes washers, freezers, furnaces, and more. On each item, one can receive 15% off the purchase price, up to a maximum of $500 on each product, depending on the type of product. However, customers can receive rebates on multiple products.

I think this is effective because people love to save money. All of the products which you can save money on are things that everyone needs, and are things that everyone will probably use in their lifetime. If you buy it this way, you’re helping the environment, as well as saving money; it’s a win/win situation for everyone. I especially like this one because ENERGY STAR is a good company, so it’s good that if the government is going to endorse (in a sense) a company, it’s a solid one. Also, I think this is a good program because it, potentially, gets the ball rolling for other companies to do the same. The only thing that might be complicated about this program is getting people to know about it. There needs to be more awareness about the types of programs that are available.

Another rebate that I think is particularly effective is the clothes washer rebate. With this incentive, one can receive a $60 rebate when they purchase a washing machine that is a qualifying new high-efficiency washer, after the date of January 1, 2003. Also, when they partake in this rebate, they can enter a draw and take a chance at winning the money back that they paid for their washing machine, up to $2500. I think this is a good rebate because lots of people buy washing machines, and they don’t have to go to much trouble just to get 60 free dollars. One thing I think people will be skeptical about is that it is “only” $60, and some people may think it should be higher. If the incentive is not high enough, there is a chance that not as many people will partake, just because they don’t think $60 is a lot, compared to the buying price of approximately $2000. The draw to win up to $2500 is a good addition though, because it gives people a little higher incentive to partake.

The third incentive that I picked is the Enersource Conservation Water Heater Tune-Up. I think this one is extremely effective because of it’s nature. For this incentive, one can receive a free water heater tune up: “The tune-up involves a visit by Enersource representatives who will install or provide, free of charge, a water heater blanket, pipe wrap, an energy efficient showerhead, compact fluorescent light bulbs and a faucet aerator”. I think this is wonderful because usually one would have to call a plumber to do this, which can be extremely expensive. Also, this is a good one because it is something that most people could use. Basically any home owner could use this service, so it, I imagine, would be very successful.

The other rebate I found that I really like is the Hot Savings Rebate. Ontario citizens can receive a $100 rebate when they replace an existing furnace with a qualifying furnace or air handler. A rebate of up to $75 is available for the purchase and installation of a programmable thermostat. A $500 rebate is available for the replacement of an existing central air conditioning system with an ENERGY STAR qualified system. This is wonderful because, once again, it is something that any homeowner could use at one point in time. I also like this rebate because the value is a little higher than most with the rebate.