'Mass Save' Program Crashes State Website
Massachusetts Earth Day's program distributed millions of dollars in rebates.
April 22, 2010 — -- Massachusetts gave away almost $8 million in rebates for energy-efficient appliances this morning after scorching-hot demand briefly took down the website set up to handle rebate requests, MassSave.com.
In an Earth Day bid to stimulate the state economy and save on energy costs, the state distributed about $5.6 million in federal stimulus dollars in the form of $50 to $250 rebates to Massachusetts residents who agreed to trade in old, inefficient appliances for energy-efficient refrigerators, clothes washers, driers, dishwashers and freezers. An extra $2 million was provided for residents who put their names on a waiting list.
The rebates became available at 10 a.m. and were all gone by 1 p.m. Demand was so high that the state's website, MassSave.com/residential, crashed briefly.
"The system is struggling to accommodate all the people interested in this," Robert Keough, assistant secretary in the Massachusetts Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, told The Boston Globe at 11 a.m.
For those who were able to reserve rebates, The Boston Globe has a helpful guide on what to do next.
