Xcel Unveils New Energy-Efficient Appliance Rebates

From the Denver Business Journal on Jan. 27: Xcel Energy, the dominant utility provider in much of Colorado, has announced rebates for the purchase of energy efficient appliances and projects in a bid to cut energy demand by 125 megawatts of electricity and 7.2 million therms of natural gas. You can read the article by clicking here, but here's the summary:

Heating Rebates: Between Jan. 1 and July 31, 2009, consumers installing high-efficiency natural gas furnaces or boilers can receive rebates ranging from $80 to $120, depending on the rating of the appliance.

Water Heater Rebate: Rebates on the installation of natural gas water heaters, ranging from $40 to $80 and depending on efficiency ratings. Rebates of $100 also are being offered on tankless water heaters.

Insulation Rebates: Natural gas customers who install additional attic or wall insulation, or apply air sealing or weather stripping to their homes can receive rebates of up to 20 percent of the cost of the upgrade, with a maximum rebate of $300 (NOTE: I am researching whether this is instead of, or in addition to, any municipal or county insulation rebates such as Boulder County's REAP program.)

Xcel is also continuing its evaporative cooling (aka "swamp cooler") program from previous years. Rebates of either $200 or $500 are available for the installation of qualifying units for the program.

Xcel will also continue its residential Saver’s Switch program this year. Bill credits have increased to $40 for all residential customers in Colorado, from $25 in 2008. These rebates are provided to customers who allow the company to cycle air-conditioning units during periods of high electricity demand.

Additional residential programs to be launched later this spring will include home energy audits; multiple energy efficiency upgrades, including replacement of appliances, heating/cooling equipment and insulation for new and existing homes; a program for energy efficient showerheads; and several educational programs.

Final note: as of this writing none of this information yet appears on Xcel Energy's web site, so if you want to take advantage of any of these rebates and incentives, you'd do well to contact the company to make sure you're eligible and to ask how to take advantage of any of these programs.