OF YOUR MONEY Save At Home With Federal Financial Help (NAPSA)—You may be able to save more money than you think when you get an energy-efficient new appliance, with financial help from the government. Using nearly $300 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, all 56 U.S. states and territories have programs to help families replace older, inefficient appliances with new energyefficient ones. Depending on the program in your state, rebates may be available to you when you get an Energy Star—qualified appliance, such as a: Boiler Central air conditioner Clothes washer Dishwasher Freezer Furnace Heat pump (air-source and geothermal) Refrigerator Room air conditioner Water heater. For the greatest savings, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) strongly recommendsrecycling all old appliances, especially refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners and dehumidifiers that contain ozone-destroying and heat-trap- ping chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) or hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) that by law are required to be captured. The programs are expected to help achieve the national goals of spurring economic growth, creat- ing jobs, saving energy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The DOE also suggests these easy low-cost and no-cost ways to save energy: Install a programmable thermostat to keep your house comfortable but not waste energy when youre not at home. A new, energy-saving appliance may cost you less than you think. Use compact fluorescent lightbulbs with the Energy Star label. Air dry dishes instead of using your dishwasher’s drying cycle. Turn off your computer and monitor when not in use. Plug home electronics, such as TVs and DVD players, into power strips; turn the power strips off when the equipment is not in use (TVs and DVDs in standby mode still use several watts of power). Lower the thermostat on your hot water heater to 120F. Take short showers instead of baths. Wash only full loads of dishes and clothes. Drive sensibly. Aggressive driving (speeding, rapid acceleration and braking) wastes gasoline. Learn more. Visit www. energysavers.gov for more energy- saving ideas. Go to www.energy savers.gov/rebates to find all the details about the rebate programs, which products are covered, how much the rebate is for, how to take advantage of it and what the timetable is likely to be as they vary state to state.
