Mar 30 - McClatchy-Tribune Regional News - Tracy Turner The Columbus Dispatch, Ohio



Ohioans still looking to save money on a new dishwasher through a "cash for clunker" appliance-rebate program might be out of luck.

All the rebate money for dishwashers had been allocated as of 2 p.m. yesterday through the state's Energy Star appliance-rebate program, said Christina Panoska, a program manager in Ohio's Energy Resources Division.

Overall, 66,291 rebate reservations were booked for all appliances, with 33,146 of them already redeemed, Panoska said.

The rebates that have been reserved represent $7.9 million, leaving $2.3 million, she said.

 As expected, thousands of consumers logged on and signed up for the rebates over the weekend, she said.

"We're thrilled with the high level of consumers' interest," Panoska said. "From the opening gate, dishwashers, refrigerators and clothes washers were the most popular among consumers.

"We expect that those will be exhausted soon."

The program, which provides $100 to $250 rebates, is designed to encourage consumers to replace inefficient refrigerators, dishwashers, washing machines, water heaters and heat pumps, and recycle their old "clunkers."

The process for getting a rebate starts with making a reservation online or by phone at 1-888-686-8896.

Once reservations are confirmed, participants have three days to make the purchase. After that, they must send in the receipt for their purchase and certify that their old appliance has been recycled.

The program ends when the funding, $10.5 million, runs out. The state expects to give out 89,335 rebates.

The state has set aside 3percent of the rebate money as a safety-net to ensure that all consumers who have reserved a rebate will be able to get it, Ohio Department of Development spokeswoman Kimber Perfect said.

She said the state will release those remaining funds later in the program.

Panoska said consumers interested in getting a rebate on an appliance for which there is no more rebate money should still sign up for the program. Those consumers will be placed on a waiting list. More money could become available if consumers who reserved a rebate do not redeem it within the allotted 72 hours.

"Our best guess is that rebate funds for the clothes washers and refrigerators will be gone within the next three days," she said.

Some consumers were unable to redeem their rebates over the weekend, Panoska said, because of a glitch in the system that said their rebates had already expired.

But the Web site's host, Parago Inc., a Texas-based rebate-processing company, was able to fix the problem by yesterday afternoon, she said.

Consumers interested in applying for rebates on gas water heaters are in luck. Funds for those appliances remain plentiful, with $982,000 left.

Panoska said she expects those rebates "will last a little while longer."

tturner@dispatch.com

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What's left?

The numbers are changing all the time, but as of yesterday afternoon, here's where the state's Energy Star appliance-rebate program stood:

>> Clothes washer ($150 rebate): $412,308 available; $3.1 million reserved or used

>> Dishwasher ($100 rebate): $0 available; a little more than $2 million reserved or used

>> Refrigerator ($100 rebate): $656,208 available; almost $1.9 million reserved or used

>> Electric heat-pump water heater ($250 rebate): $162,050 available; $345,850 reserved or used

>> High-efficiency gas storage water heater ($100 rebate): $982,106 available; $541,400 reserved or used

To reserve your rebate, call 1-888-686-8896 between 7 a.m. and midnight Monday through Friday; 8 a.m. to midnight on Saturdays; and 10 a.m. to midnight on Sundays or visit www.ohioappliance rebate.com 24 hours a day.

Source: Ohio Department of Development

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