Private Companies Offer Cash For Clunkers Copy Cats
Some retailers copy the popular government program for their own goods.
Aug. 27, 2009 — -- Riding on the popularity of the Cash for Clunkers program, the government is putting the final touches on a similar program for appliances, but the feds aren't the only ones getting in on the act.
Private companies, like Amazon, Toys-R-Us and Barneys copied the plan to give their consumers some incentives of their own.
To sort out the details, "Good Morning America" technology contributor Becky Worley headed to a retail store in Pleasanton, Calif.
According to Worley, the government's plan for appliances differs from Cash for Clunkers in that consumers won't be turning in their appliances, but getting a rebate at the store when they buy energy efficient ones.
Starting late this fall, you could get a rebate of $50 to $200 for buying a new appliance. The savings, and which appliances are eligible, could vary state to state.
The Department of Energy hopes to encourage conservation by getting consumers to replace old, wasteful appliances with new, more efficient Energy Star-certified machines. But the appliance industry, reeling from the recession and a drop in sales, also hopes the rebates will provide a much-needed sales boost.
About 55 percent of new appliances sold last year met the requirements for an Energy Star label, the government says. The cash-for-refrigerators plan will be in addition to incentive programs already run by many states, although there's no guarantee the federal money will get people to buy new appliances instead of fixing their old ones when money is tight.
Another government program in the works, the Greener Gardens Act, would give buyers a 25 percent rebate for buying an alternative energy lawnmower like one powered by electricity, battery or propane.
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