Posted by Snow in 
Got a Clunker Refrigerator fouling up the house zen? More recycling programs are lofting their way to the public trough and the leftover fridge is no appliance to be left behind.
A $300 million cash-for-clunkers-type federal program to boost sales of energy-efficient home appliances provides a glimmer of hope for beleaguered makers of washing machines and dishwashers, saving vendor from the rinse cycle of downward recessionary lack of spending.
Beginning late this fall, the program authorizes rebates of $50 to $200 for purchases of high-efficiency household appliances. The money is part of the broader economic stimulus bill passed earlier this year. Program details will vary by state, and the Energy Dept. has set a deadline of Oct. 15 for states to file formal applications.
The U. S. Energy Dept. expects the bulk of the $300 million to be awarded by the end of November. Only appliances covered by the Energy Star seal will qualify.
In 2008, about 55% of newly produced major household appliances met those standards, which are set by the Energy Dept. and Environmental Protection Agency.
The money can’t come soon enough for the home appliance industry, which is mired in an unprecedented sales slump that began when the housing market cooled in 2006.
The leading appliance makers have felt the pinch. Whirlpool of Benton Harbor, Mich., which controls about 40% of the U.S. market, has seen its sales drop 20% through the first two quarters of this year.
North American shipments for its Stockholm-based rival Electrolux, meanwhile, have dropped for a dozen consecutive quarters. Both companies have laid off hundreds of workers, and General Electric mulled shutting down an entire refrigerator plant earlier this year until deciding to keep it open with a reduced workforce.
Cash-strapped consumers have chosen to repair, rather than replace, hobbled dishwashers and other water-intensive appliances, according to industry analysts. The incentive to buy new stuff works against the big box model but beats a dent in stagnant inventories nationwide.
Aggressive vendor marketing programs that will run parallel with the rebates, and appliance makers and retailers will devise additional discounts to amplify the rebates’ appeal. Don’t call the California Energy Commission , the entire state office is on unpaid furlough each Friday in August.
RSS Feed
This blog is very informative and thanks for the updates and the blog colour and desiging is very beautiful after seeing this u must be a creative man.
I am from Cape and now study English, give true I wrote the following sentence: “It has once been engraved that evaluators, rinsing those with no dental group strips, are at front impression for offenders? of toothpaste and artists, teeth whitening.”
Regards
Aldon.