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Save Today & Tomorrow with Energy Star Products

Tax credits, rebate programs and long-term energy savings make Energy Star products a worthy investment.

Article ImageEnergy Star appliances can pay for themselves in just a few years with the savings you realize on your energy bill. It all started with a light bulb. Most of us by now are familiar with compact florescent light bulbs and their energy saving capabilities. The government's Energy Star program designates many products from light bulbs to windows, doors, appliances, roofing materials and more that can provide annual energy savings to homeowners. Until recently, the focus has been on energy savings over the long-term.

Now, with the introduction of tax credit and rebate programs, it makes even more economical sense to upgrade existing products to higher-rated Energy Star for the short-term, immediate incentives and savings that add to the bonus of long-term annual energy savings. The typical household spends more than $2200 a year on energy bills. But with Energy Star products, that average household can save over one-third or about $700 per year.

Many of the new, more efficient Energy Star appliances will pay for themselves in just a few years with the savings you realize on your energy bill. The 2009 Federal Stimulus Energy Efficiency Tax Credits provide incentives: 30 percent tax credit, up to $1500, for the cost of materials for qualifying improvements such as insulation materials, exterior doors and windows and roofs, products that are designed to help reduce a home's heat loss or gain.

This is an especially good year to consider replacing your appliances, particularly if they are more than five years old. Modeled after the "Cash for Clunkers" program, a state appliance rebate program can offer rebates on qualifying Energy Star appliances, such as clothes washers, freezers, refrigerators and dishwashers. Each state is charged with developing and administering the rebate program. For more information on savings programs, go to www.energysavers.gov or learn more about Energy Star products from the appliance experts at Roby's Furniture & Appliance stores, now with five coastal locations. - by Laura Swanson

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  • Published in: Coast Style Spring 2010
  • Click to see other items about: Home Improvement