Rebates and Incentives to Save you Some Green

Sometimes it seems like a little incentive is all the push we need to make a change we might otherwise put off. When it comes to money we could all use a little more green. Today I’m going to talk about some financial incentives. If you are not in need of a little extra money in your pocket feel free to let me know and I will arrange for pick up…I kid I kid!

A little adventure in discovering how to save a few extra bucks on our monthly utility bill 

AND 

save on the cost of some energy efficient household appliances 

A cash incentive for purchasing high efficiency appliances and equipment is something I recently discovered. I thought I would share with you guys! My hope is this might be particularly helpful for those living in Utah/Wyoming/Idaho who receive electrical services through Rocky Mountain Power. But even if you don’t live in my general vicinity check with your local utility companies to see what sort of rebates and incentives they provide for purchasing more energy efficient appliances.

I tried to do a little leg work for you. I know we are all busy and sometimes it really doesn't seem worth it to save a few extra bucks if it creates more work in your already busy schedule. I wanted to investigate how much of a hassle it was going to be for us to actually find appliances that qualified for Rocky Mountain Power's wattsmart Incentives, so here we go  

Light Bulbs 

Many of us have already converted to CFL (compact fluorescent light) or LED (light-emitting diode…what is a diode? I had to google). But did you know there are retailers that offer special pricing through the Rocky Mountain Power Home Energy Savings Program? Well neither did I! So I set off to check it out. 

You can find a list of participating retailers here. With that being said I didn't see my local Home Depot on the list but while I was there on other business discovered them. So just look around if you're at the store one day. 

This was a much better deal than the other bulbs I have seen outside of the Rocky Mountain Power program

The little flag below is how you will know what light bulbs are in the Rocky Mountain Power Program 

The Verdict: 

This one kind of surprised me, there were some good deals! If you are in the market for CFL or LED bulbs I would take a couple of seconds and find a retailer offering this promotion and save some green! You don't need a coupon or any special statement to tell the cashier, it should be marked and ring up correctly. 

Looking to replace an appliance? Why not see if there is an appliance incentive to help you in making your decision

This might be a good time to point out, there are all sorts of "additional terms and conditions may apply" legal stuff on the website (you will see it) so make sure you’re doing what is best for you obviously. But if you can get a little extra dough back for buying a fridge or washer you would have bought anyway…then why not look into it? Save money on your monthly bill and get a bonus, as always the goal is win, win.

Refrigerators

 I thought this one would be a little easier than it ended up being. Once again you can get the list of approved refrigerators here they update it often to accommodate new and changing models. Make sure yours is on the list when you buy it.

It is a bit difficult looking for the right model number and trying to figure out if the fridge you have scoped out is going to qualify. With that being said retailers are starting to put stickers on models that qualify for the rebate, which certainly helps us out as consumers. 

Zoomed in on that beast so you would know what to look for 

The primary reason this was a little more difficult was just the limited selection compared to what I thought I would find. I wasn't able to easily find a vast selection of fridges that qualified. 

The Verdict: 

I would still say this one is worth it, you just might need to put a little more effort into ensuring you are going to get the incentive prior to making the purchase.

Dishwasher 

Dishwashers seem to be a sweet spot in incentive land. There are a lot of dishwashers that qualify for a the $20 so this one is a little easier to handle than the fridge situation. Get the list here  

Just to give you a small example of the price ranges and some of the options available see below. I think you will have good luck with this one if you're in the market for a new dishwasher. 

The Verdict: 

I don't see how you couldn't find a dishwasher and get an extra $20. I think you would have to actively try to avoid an energy/water efficient dishwasher. Basically, just do it if you're in the market for a dishwasher.

Last but not least....

Clothes Washers

Most of us wash our clothes I hope..or not..no judgement if it's not your thing. While the most energy efficient method may be to walk our basket to the river and use a washboard most of us don't have easy access to a river...that is the only thing stopping me (not really, but I have to try with the jokes here) 

There are quite a few options to get up to $50 with the purchase of a clothes washer, list available here. With clothes washers there is also an additional bonus if you are in the market for a gas washer. If you are there is a potential for another $50 through Questar. 

With all of these appliance I've highlight the point is, if you're already looking to replace an appliance why not pick one that is more energy/water efficient. This will not only help the environment but ultimately help you. You will save money through incentives like the ones I highlighted today and you will save money on your energy bill in almost every scenario...Unless of course you all of a sudden decide to leave the fridge door open or run your dishes through the washer twice every time you're going to come out money ahead. 

As you may have noticed with the exception of the gas washer these were all electrical appliances. Questar also offers rebates for some water heaters and HVAC upgrades. It is worth checking out if you're in the market.

One last time if you want to explore rebates and incentives since I openly admit I did not cover all of the glorious possibilities 

Rocky Mountain Power 

Questar Gas 

Thanks for reading 

Until the next time...