Fun with numbers: Lots of WA cash left for appliance rebates

Two months in, the state’s Cash for Appliances program has lined the pockets of 5,280 folks–total payout: $468,750–who now have refrigerators and clothes washers that use less energy. That leaves a little more than $5 million to give away before the program’s planned end date of December 2011.

The goals of the program, funded by federal Recovery Act dollars and administered by the U.S. Department of Energy through the state Department of Commerce, get summed up in big numbers: $5.6 million in rebates, for  long-term energy bill savings of $1 million a year. The state expects three times as many washers as refrigerators to get rebates, 45,000 to 15,000, with a geographic distribution aligned with the population.

So, how’s it shaping up so far?

Well, the cash is flowing out a little slowly, but not alarmingly so, according to Rebecca Stillings at the Washington Department of Commerce. At the current rate of about $235,00 a month, the program would at the end of 2011 with $1 million left. A boost in marketing by the state and appliance retailers should be able to pick up the slack, though Stillings says the state wants to keep its marketing expenses down so more money flows to consumers.

How about the geographic distribution? So far, those west of the Cascades account for 85 percent of the business, which is a little out of whack since only 78 percent of the state’s people live on the west side. Stillings attributes the discrepancy in part to a handful of retailers in King and Snohomish counties that are pushing the rebate program with good success. Others might want to follow the lead of people like Rick Kvangnes, general manager for Everett-based Judd & Black, who have been the subject of local news stories and have made  appliance rebates a key piece of their advertising message.

Three times as many washers as refrigerators? Not so far. Of the 5281 rebates provided through May 20, 54 percent are for washers (which get $100, before utility rebates and other incentives).

So, where are all these new appliances winding up?  A hundred fifty two are in Everett, population 103,000. Two hundred twenty are in Spokane, population 205,000. Five hundred twenty three are in Seattle, population 600,000. The little Lincoln County town of Wilbur, population 900-ish, landed four efficiency washers and a fridge. Someone in Tekoa, Whitman County, populaion 826, has a nice, new, energy efficiency refrigerator.

So, the message here is there’s a lot more money to be had if you’re a consumer and a lot more appliances to be sold if you’re an appliance dealer. If you’re neither of those, tell your friends.

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