May 5 - McClatchy-Tribune Regional News - Teddye Snell Tahlequah Daily Press, Okla.



With the temperature outside increasing daily, many area residents are cranking up the air conditioners in an effort to beat the heat.

Unfortunately, this is the time when many homeowners find out that after a long winter's nap, their central air conditioning unit, or even window unit, has quit working.

Such is the case with former Tahlequah resident Nick Winkle.

Winkle and his wife, Kelly, purchased their first home last October, when air conditioning was rarely needed. Last week, the couple turned the central unit on only to find themselves sweltering in an unairconditioned home.

 "We had a guy come out Monday to check out the system, and he told us the compressor is bad," said Winkle. "Instead of just replacing the compressor, the technician told us it would be better just to buy a whole new unit."

Like many young married couples, the Winkles will have to budget carefully to afford the replacement. And thanks to a new $3.5 million federal grant for Oklahoma consumers, they may even qualify for a rebate on the new unit.

According to the Oklahoma Department of Commerce, the U.S. Department of Energy recently approved the state's plan for the Energy Efficient Appliance Rebate program. The program is designed for Oklahoma residents to buy energy-efficient appliances from Oklahoma retailers to replace existing appliances that may be outdated. It is estimated there is enough money for approximately 23,000 rebates in Oklahoma.

Beginning Saturday, May 8, consumers shopping at a participating retailer can purchase eligible Energy Star appliances and will qualify for a rebate as long as the funds are available. Information on the Oklahoma Department of Commerce website indicated the participating retailer will be able to confirm if money is still available for the rebate before consumers make a purchase.

Appliances and the rebate amounts include: clothes washers and refrigerators, $200; room air conditioners, $50; water heaters, central air conditioners and gas furnaces, $100; and ground source and air source heat pumps, $250.

And to ensure those old "clunker" energy-inefficient appliances aren't passed on to anyone else, consumers will also make arrangements through their retailer or through other means to have the old appliance removed from their homes, similar to the "Cash for Clunkers" car rebate program of last year.

Tahlequah Lumber Co. Manager Bill Kissinger said they signed up as a participating retailer on April 22.

"We received training on the rebate program and [Tuesday] we got to visit the rebate website and work through the actual rebate reserve process," said Kissinger. "I think we'll be ready when the program begins at 9 a.m., Saturday."

Kissinger said those interested in participating must be an Oklahoma resident, and the appliance purchased must replace an older, inefficient appliance. The old appliances cannot be resold, but must be disposed of.

"We didn't necessarily order extra products for the program," said Kissinger. "We have four types of room air conditioner units that qualify, along with two types of clothes washers. Some of the other appliances we'll have to special order, because some of those Energy Star products are new to the vendors."

Kissinger said Energy Star appliances may cost a little more at checkout, but the savings over time are worth the extra money.

"The program seems to be well-thought-out, and I believe we're prepared to meet our customers' needs," said Kissinger. "After 9 a.m., Saturday, we'll be able to enter the customer's information into the computer to qualify them for the rebate, and we'll also be able to make sure there's still money in the coffers to cover the rebate."

After qualifying, Tahlequah Lumber customers will receive a printed rebate form they'll need to fill out and send in, along with accompanying documentation, such as the sales receipt from the new appliance and proof the old appliance has been disposed of.

"We take care of disposal occasionally, but it involves an extra fee," said Kissinger. "A lot of people choose to do it for themselves."

Both Tahlequah Lowe's and Sears stores are participating in the program, as well. Representatives at the local Sears location indicated qualifying Energy Star appliances will be ordered at the time of sale, and will be available one to two days after purchase.

All qualifying customers are permitted one rebate per appliance, and a maximum of two rebates per household.

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