Illinois Appliance Rebates
THIS PROGRAM IS CLOSED. AS OF 10:30 A.M. ON SEPTEMBER 24, 2010, ALL OF ILLINOIS' REBATE FUNDS HAVE BEEN EXHAUSTED.
For more information, download the Illinois state appliance program fact sheet
.
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The State of Illinois implemented a three-phase instant rebate program to help residents replace older, inefficient appliances with ENERGY STAR® qualified models.
The first phase (for water heaters and heating and ventilation products) began January 31, 2010, and is now closed. Rebates for water heaters ended on February 21, 2010 and rebates for heating and ventilation products ended April 5, 2010. Consumers received rebates on eligible heating and air conditioning products through participating contractors.
The second phase for ENERGY STAR qualified appliances began on April 16, 2010, and ended at 7 p.m. the same day.
The third phase be similar to the second phase but offer rebates on a smaller number of products. The program began at 8 a.m. on September 24, 2010 and and closed at 10:30 a.m. that day when all funds were allocated.
Eligible products included
- Refrigerators
- Freezers
- Clothes washers
- Dishwashers
Previously eligible products included
- Refrigerators
- Freezers
- Clothes washers
- Dishwashers
- Room air conditioners
- Gas storage water heaters
- Gas tankless water heaters
- Heat pump water heaters
- Gas and propane furnaces
- Gas boilers
- Central air conditioners
- Air source heat pumps
To receive new product rebates, consumers must purchase from "participating" retailers.
NOTE: For questions about your rebate such as status, timeline, and rebate amount, please contact your state's program directly through their Web site.
Contact: Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, Bureau of Energy and Recycling
Total Funding: $12,379,000
Program information subject to change. Rebates may be offered for a limited time only. Before purchasing a product, check with your program sponsor to ensure rebates are available, and to confirm product eligibility and program requirements. Products purchased must meet efficiency criteria as established by the state.
Program Impact:
Partnership at Heart of Illinois' Rebate Program Success
Retailers Report "Best Sales Day Ever"
Customers lined up early to purchase ENERGY STAR appliances using energy efficiency rebate program funds. Photo courtesy of Abt Electronics.
In heartland America, when the government says it is here to help, there are bound to be some raised eyebrows. But when the federally funded appliance rebate program came to Illinois, hesitation grew into support, which then blossomed in a $31 million "Fantastic Friday" on April 16.
Mike Abt of Abt Electronics, the state's largest appliance store and an ENERGY STAR partner, said his store did "double business that day. It was a very exciting day, as tens of thousands of people came to the store. We've never had that before."
Abt credits the program's success to the support of the Illinois Retail Merchant Association (IRMA), which helped keep potential pitfalls at bay.
David Vite, president of IRMA, said his group worked with the state to examine how other state programs were running. Then they fine-tuned the Illinois program. "We monitored retailers' participation and consumer demand up until the edge of the program," Vite explained.
The Illinois program was structured so that retailers had to put the rebate money up front and file to get it back from the state. "That was easier for bigger outfits," Vite said.
Some retailers were initially a little hesitant, but the collaboration among the state, IRMA, and other groups built a sense of trust. The groups held a webinar with 150 retailers representing nearly 500 stores to keep up with the state's program modifications.
Communication was key the day of the program launch. "Retailers and state representatives exchanged emails every hour to track the burn rate so that we knew exactly how much rebate money was available." Vita explained. As funds dwindled by the end of the day, the state decided to use funds from its Energy Efficiency Trust Fund to extend the program to 7 p.m. Sixty percent of the appliances sold were refrigerators and freezers, and an additional mail-in rebate is being provided for consumers to recycle their old units.
Abt also found the program was successful in educating consumers. "Most of the time, we work hard to teach customers about energy efficient appliances. On this day, they came to us asking for ENERGY STAR."