Appliance rebates redux

As much as $400,000 in appliance rebates could go unclaimed and become available to people on a waiting list in the N.C. Energy Office promotion of Energy Star-rated appliances.

The state was distributing $1.3 million in rebates at the beginning of this month, courtesy of the federal stimulus.

Residents reserved all the rebate money within four days online or over the phone, but three weeks later, about 24 percent of those who reserved rebates have not submitted the required paperwork to receive the money.

Energy Office spokesman Seth Effron means that some have forgotten, some have lost their documentation and some may have mailed the materials too recently to be logged.

"We are going to make sure that all of the money is claimed," Effron said.

The 24 percent will soon be reminded by e-mail or by letter  to submit their paperwork. If they don't respond, their rebates will be freed up for people who are on the waiting list.

However, in any rebate program, a percentage of people who reserve the rebates ends up not claiming the money for any number of reasons.

The Energy Office has created a waiting list for residents who missed the original deadline but would like to qualify for a rebate that becomes available because the money is not claimed. So far 2,019 have signed up on the waiting list.

The rebates range from $75 to $300, depending on the appliance. The rebates are available for purchases of Energy Star-rated central air-conditioning units, clothes washers, dishwashers, freezers, natural gas furnaces, water heaters and other items.