About the Program

The California Cash for Appliances program is closed and all funding has been exhausted.
THE WAITING LIST FOR THE HVAC AND WATER HEATER REBATE PROGRAM CLOSED ON DECEMBER 31, 2011. Rebates for the Home Appliance program CLOSED ON DECEMBER 6, 2010.

The California Energy Commission has received $35.2 million in federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds for California's portion of the State Energy Efficient Appliance Rebate Program (SEEARP). A total of $300 million was available nationally, with California receiving the largest share. The Energy Commission will provide rebates to California consumers who purchase eligible home appliances during the rebate period. A portion of the funding will go for administrating the rebate program.

The rebate program will:

• Save energy by replacing inefficient appliances with more efficient ones.
• Make rebates for efficient appliances available to residential consumers.
• Leverage ARRA funds with existing rebate programs and partnerships.
• Keep administrative costs low while meeting the federal monitoring and evaluation requirements.
• Provide state and national rebate tracking and accountability.
• Use current U.S. EPA ENERGY STAR® consumer education and outreach materials.

The rebates are available beginning April 22, 2010, on a first-come first-served basis and will last until the funds are expended. The rebates will not be retroactive. Appliances purchased before the start date are not eligible for the rebate.

You must be a California resident to claim the rebate. The old appliance must be replaced by the new one being purchased, and the old appliance must be recycled at a certified recycler.

Manufacturer, retailer, and utility company rebates also may be used in conjunction with the Cash For Appliances rebate.

Commission Formal Proceeding for the Cash For Appliances Program

The California Energy Commission on June 3, 2009, established an informational proceeding, Docket # Docket # 09-OII-1, to gather information to develop guidelines that will govern the administration and award of federal funds received for several programs pursuant to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

The guidelines for the Cash For Appliances Program were developed as part of a public process in coordination with the state's energy agencies, local governments, utilities and interested stakeholders and members of the public. The proposed guidelines were released for public comment in late October 2009 and adopted on December 16, 2009. The guidelines were developed on an expedited basis consistent with the purposes of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and Governor Schwarzenegger's Executive Order S-02-09, which created the Federal Economic Stimulus Task Force.

A copy of the adopted appliance rebate guidelines (part of the State Energy Program Guidelines) is available to download as an Acrobat PDF file: REVISED Appliance Rebate Guidelines: State Energy Efficient Appliance Rebate Program - FOURTH EDITION.

California's Rebate Program

The Energy Commission submitted its proposed Appliance Rebate Program design to the U.S. Department of Energy on October 14, 2009.

The Energy Commission used the list of "pre-screened" appliances from the DOE as the starting point for choosing the eligible appliances. To qualify, the appliances must be ENERGY STAR®-listed and certified to the Energy Commission as meeting all state and federal appliance efficiency standards. Center for Energy Efficiency standards also were used for the targeted appliances, resulting in the following criteria.

The U.S. Department of Energy approved the Commission application, and California received the $35.2 million at the end of 2009.

A portion of the $35.2 million is being used for administration of the program. A "Request For Proposals" (RFP-400-09-404) was released for a competitive bid to hire a company to process the rebate claims. The RFP was released January 26, 2010, and is scheduled to be awarded by the Energy Commission on March 24, 2010.

Another $400,000 is going to the State Controllers Office to process the rebate checks mailed to claimants. The U.S. DOE requires that all administrative costs be 100 percent matched by in-kind and donated services. The Energy Commission is doing that through its platinum and official partners.

Partners - Part of the Program Success

To help publicize and encourage the Appliance Rebate Program, the Energy Commission recruited Platinum and Official Partners to provide in-kind services and support. These activities included developing consumer outreach, marketing and promotional materials, training staff and sales personnel, and providing information on appliance availability and other rebates.