Posted in Efficiency, Energy, tagged Efficient energy use, Energy Star, Memorial Day, Texas on May 27, 2011 |
If you have been thinking about a new appliance, this weekend is a good time to get one, just remember to look for the energy star label and you will save dollars now and for the life of the unit. Something new for you that will help preserve our scarce resources and some cash at the same time.
Here is the announcement from the state on the offer
REMINDER: Save on Appliances This Weekend During the ENERGY STAR® Sales Tax Holiday – May 28-30, 2011 (more…)
Posted in Efficiency, recycling, tagged Energy Efficiency, Energy Star, Rebate Program, Texas on February 16, 2011 |
If you’ve considered participating…
Funds are still available for the Texas Appliance Mail-In Rebate Program. Texas has already approved over $12 million in rebates and funds are limited, so act soon!
Funding for the program is available to Texas residential consumers on a first-received, first-issued basis according to the application’s postmark date until funds are depleted.
NOTE: If you do NOT have an existing appliance to recycle/dispose of, OR if you keep, gift, donate or sell your old appliance, you will NOT be eligible for an appliance or recycling rebate.
NOTE: If you do NOT select an option under the “Disposal/Recycling Information” section, then “Option One: Disposal” will automatically be selected for you and you will NOT qualify for the additional $75 bonus recycling rebate.
For other program questions, please see the Texas Comptroller’s Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), contact customer service or call toll-free (855) 556-1312.
Posted in Efficiency, Energy, recycling, tagged Comptroller, Efficient energy use, energy efficance, Energy Star, Funds, Texas on December 21, 2010 |
Need a new refrigerator, washing machine, dish washer, water heater, air conditioner or heat pump? The the state has a deal for you.
Texas has started another round of its energy efficient appliance rebate program. As we covered in a previous blog post this is a big, sweet deal of a rebate for new energy star appliances. But because of the problems with the way the last program was run, this time it’s a mail-in rebate.
Not only will you save dollars on a new appliance, you will save money for the life of the appliance because it will use less energy and water than the old one. They even give you some extra cash if you recycle the old one so it doesn’t end up in a landfill or wasting energy in somebody’s garage somewhere.
A benefit of the federal stimulus package direct to your wallet just in time for Christmas shopping. Because, you know– there’s nothing you want in your stocking more than a new HVAC system or fridge, right? RIGHT? : )
Here are the details from the State Comptroller’s office on how the program works:
Texas Appliance Mail-In Rebate Program opens today! Monday, Dec. 20, 2010
Starting today, Monday, Dec. 20, 2010, Texans can purchase appliances and participate in the Texas Appliance Mail-In Rebate Program. The new $18.5 million Texas Appliance Mail-in Rebate Program is a traditional mail-in rebate program, and Texas consumers do not reserve funding for an appliance rebate. Now accepting applications! Rebates are available on a first-come, first-served basis until all funds are distributed.
Helpful Information
Please check the Eligible Appliances, Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), Recycling Details and the printable resources listed below for key program information.
1. Official Application Form for Texas Appliance Mail-In Rebate Program (PDF, 116KB)
Texans can also pick up a form at Comptroller field offices around the state. If necessary, consumers can call an automated toll-free customer information line at (855) 556-1312 to have a form mailed to their home. An application form is not required at the time of purchase, but is needed at the time of installation for disposal/recycling information.
2. How to Apply Flyer (PDF, 187KB)
3. Eligible Appliances Chart (PDF, 271KB)
They have added an additional 8.5 million dollars to the pool of funds left over from those that reserved funds but did not spend them, but it will be first come first served until the funds are gone.
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By promoting cleaner energy, cleaner government, and cleaner air for all Texans, we hope to provide for a healthy place to live and prosper. We are Public Citizen Texas.
Posted in Consumers, Efficiency, Energy, tagged Ed Begley Jr, Energy Efficiency, Energy Star, Representative Veronica Gonzalez, rio grande valley, sales tax, south texas chisme, Texas on May 27, 2010 |
I’ve told my parents and now I’m telling you. ¡Si se compran una lavadora o un aire condicionado marcado Energy Star este weekend, no tienen que pagar sales taxes! If you buy an Energy Star appliance this Memorial Day weekend you won’t have to pay a sales tax! Representative Veronica Gonzalez announced the third annual Energy Star Sales Tax Holiday and encouraged Texans to lower their utility bills and conserve energy with more energy efficient appliances. Gonzalez went on to say:
Many of use see our utility bills go up during the hot summer months…energy efficient appliances are better for our environment and our wallets, and even small changes like switching to fluorescent light bulbs can make a difference. I encourage Texans to take advantage of this weekend.
If there’s no room for a brand spanking new energy efficient appliance in your budget here are some tips on how to prep your home for the coming summer heat as presented by Ed Begley Jr.
[googlevideo=http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=497852292298798919#]
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By promoting cleaner energy, cleaner government, and cleaner air for all Texans, we hope to provide for a healthy place to live and prosper. We are Public Citizen Texas
Posted in Efficiency, Energy, tagged appliance rebate, comptroller's office, consortium for energy efficiency (CEE), david power, Energy Efficiency, Energy Star, Public Citizen, rebate reservation, san antonio express news, seco, state energy conservation office, Texas, texas powerful smart, texas trade up appliance rebate program on April 1, 2010 |
Ain’t timing a funny thing? The very morning our most excellent op-ed on the Texas Trade Up Appliance Rebate Program gets published in the San Antonio Express-News, the Comptroller’s Office decides to change the reservation date from April 5th to the 7th. Silly stuff. Check out our amended op-ed below, and visit the Express-News to help us clarify the date change in the comments section!
Appliance rebate program good for Texans
If someone handed you a $300 check to trade in your old fridge for a new one, would you do it? Would knowing you could shave $150 a year from your electric bill sweeten the deal? By taking advantage of the Texas Trade Up Appliance Rebate Program from April 16-25, you can do just that.
We often have critical things to say about the state government, especially when it comes to how it approaches energy and climate change issues. Consider, for instance, our ongoing campaigns to block new coal plants and stop new nuclear reactors.
But in this case, we must praise Texas, because it has come up with a way to boost energy efficiency and ease the burden on Texans’ pocketbooks.
Under the rebate program, Texans not only will save money but will continue to save on their electric and water bills throughout the life of the more efficient appliances. Rebate reservations can be made through www.TexasPowerfulSmart.org or by calling 1-877-780-3039 toll free starting April 7. However, funds are limited to only $23 million, and based on past appliance rebates, this money will go fast. Reserve your rebate early or you will miss this opportunity.
Most people think of energy conservation as having to give something up, but with highly efficient appliances you get the same product and end result — with less energy and money spent. (more…)
Posted in Efficiency, Energy, tagged Efficiency, Energy Star, rebates, seco, state energy conservation office, stimulus, Texas, texas powerful smart, texas trade up appliance rebate program on March 30, 2010 |
By taking advantage of the Texas Trade Up Appliance Rebate Program from April 16-25, Texas residents can receive rebates for replacing old appliances with new, more efficient models.
Rebates range from $45 up to $1,000 and may be even more if you qualify for additional rebates through your electric utility.
Visit www.TexasPowerfulSmart.org to learn more about the program and start planning what appliances you would like to replace.
Based on past experience, the money available for this program will go fast. If you want to give yourself the best possible chance to get your rebate, be ready to make a reservation on April 5.
You may receive up to two rebates per household for a wide variety of qualified appliances including air conditioners, clothes washers, dishwashers, hot water heaters, and more.
By replacing major appliances with more efficient models, you can save money, conserve water and energy, and help defray the need for polluting power plants.
Learn how to participate in the Texas Trade Up Appliance Rebate Program today!
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By promoting cleaner energy, cleaner government, and cleaner air for all Texans, we hope to provide for a healthy place to live and prosper. We are Public Citizen Texas.
Posted in Efficiency, Energy, tagged appliances, conservation, doe, Efficiency, energy efficient appliance rebate program, Energy Star, jeff wentworth, oak hill gazette, seco, state energy conservation office, state rebates, state senator, Texas, united states department of energy on March 17, 2010 |
In last week’s Oak Hill Gazette, State Senator Jeff Wentworth wrote a guest article profiling the Energy Efficient Appliance Rebate Program. Next month, from April 16-25, Texas residents can get a rebate to buy up to two energy efficient appliances including refrigerators, freezers, dishwashers, hot water heaters, clothes washers, and both room and central air conditioners. Check out the article for more information, and stay posted to Texas Vox for continued updates on the program.
Conserve energy and save money
Jeff Wentworth, State Senator, District 25Texans who believe in saving money and conserving energy will have the opportunity to do both when they purchase an appliance through the Energy Efficient Appliance Rebate Program, April 16-25.
Appliances that qualify for the rebate include refrigerators, freezers, dishwashers, hot water heaters, clothes washers, air source heat pumps and both room and central air conditioners. In addition to money received through a rebate, Energy Star appliances use less energy and less water than most older appliances, saving consumers money each month on their utility bills.
Participants must be Texas residents. They must replace an old appliance with a new, energy-efficient model that they purchase in-store from a Texas retailer between April 16 and April 25 to receive a mail-in rebate. State rebates, including an additional $75 for recycling the old appliance, may be combined with other rebates and incentives offered by manufacturers and retailers and with federal tax credits. Each household is eligible for up to two appliance rebates, as long as they are for two different types of appliances. (more…)
Posted in Coal, Efficiency, Energy, Nuclear, Renewables, tagged CFL, chosen ones, Coal Plants, earth day, Energy Efficiency, Energy Star, environment texas, environmental regulation, fast tracking, hb 280, kip averitt, luke metzger, nuclear plants, president obama, public citizen texas, rafael anchia, republicans, sb 16, sb 545, sb 546, senate, speaker joe straus, strama, susan peterson, swinford, Texas, Texas Legislature, texas observer, Tom "Smitty" Smith, troy fraser on April 23, 2009 |
I’m going to cross-post the following article from the Texas Observer’s Floor Pass blog whole hog, because it is just that good. Look for Smitty’s quote in bold, and hold on to your hat 🙂
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
The Chosen Onesposted by Susan Peterson at 03:12 PM
There’s a lot to celebrate this Earth Day when it comes to the Texas Legislature. Republicans in both chambers are carrying environmental legislation – if for no other reason than to stick it to the feds before the feds, under President Obama and a Democratic Congress, begin regulating the environment themselves. And Speaker Joe Straus has been a boon to environmental bills, as well, since he’s actually letting the legislators run the show in the House, unlike his predecessor.
The upshot? More good environmental bills and fewer bad ones.
Luke Metzger, director of Environment Texas, says there are just two main bad bills this session. Both would both speed up the permitting process for power plants. Rep. Dan Flynn’s HB 2721, which is being heard today in Environmental Regulation, would speed it up for nuclear plants. The other bad bill, Rep. Randy Weber’s HB 4012, would fast-track permitting for coal power plants.
And I know it’s unlike us to report good news, but Tom “Smitty” Smith, director of Public Citizen in Texas, says he is “suffering from a crisis of abundance” when it comes to all the worthwhile environmental bills this session.
“There are more good bills in the lege session than I can keep up with,” Smitty says. “It is reminiscent of the 1991 legislative session when Ann Richards was elected and there was a wave of reform. This is the best session I’ve had in 18 years.”
Hot damn!
But which of these good bills actually have a chance? Read about them after the jump.
Posted in Global Warming, tagged auto bailout, California, Consumer Electronics Association, Department of Energy, Efficiency, Energy Guide, Energy Star, government efficiency, Kate Galbraith, Televisions, Texas on January 6, 2009 |
Television sets use about 4% of household power nation-wide, and the newest flat screens are even bigger power suckers — LCD screens use 43% more power than the old tube TV models. Despite this situation, government efficiency testing standards for televisions haven’t been updated since Leave It to Beaver appeared in black and white. Energy Star, a voluntary labeling system developed by the EPA, uses modern efficiency tests, but Energy Guide, the mandatory Department of Energy labeling program, still uses standards from the era of Lucy and Ricky in separate twin beds.
In order to confront this problem, California has once again stepped to the forefront. According to Kate Galbraith at Green, Inc:
California regulators are drafting rules mandating that retailers stock only the most energy-efficient TVs, according to The Times. The program would start in 2011, with a more stringent standard coming into effect in 2013.
Industry, of course, objects:
The proposal is running into resistance from the Consumer Electronics Association and other industry representatives. One retailer told the Los Angeles Times that efficiency standards would “kill dealerships,” because Californians would search the Internet for less-efficient TVs, and get them shipped into California.
I’m sorry, but that argument is completely ridiculous. And I’ve heard it before. Remember when the auto industry resisted efficiency measures and stricter environmental standards that would have forced them to create a better product, and then foreign companies did just that and stole all their business? And then domestic auto companies couldn’t keep their businesses afloat anymore and had to ask the government for a bailout? I remember that, because it just happened.
I’m really tired of industry bellyaching about efficiency and environmental standards that would make them create better products. All this California amendment would say is, we want our consumers to be provided the most innovative, efficient products on the market. There are already over 100 models that would keep up with their proposed standards. Industry reps are just upset that their inefficient, energy sucking TVs won’t make the cut. Sorry, but it isn’t California’s fault you created a sub-par product.
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