South Carolina consumers have been doing more than just saving money at the cash register this spring as they purchased ENERGY STAR appliances through the South Carolina Appliance Rebate program.

Residents can also expect to save well into the future as their appliances use less energy and require less water than standard models. Rebates for ENERGY STAR labeled central air conditioning units, heat pumps, gas furnaces and water heaters in the South Carolina Appliance Rebate program were all claimed by 1:19 p.m. on April 1, 2010, just one day after the program launched. More than 4,000 rebates were claimed for these whole-house appliances.
 
More than 14,000 rebates have been claimed through instant rebates on dishwashers, clothes washers, refrigerators and room air conditioning units resulting in South Carolina residents accessing more than $1 million in rebates on these smaller appliances.

With only about 20 percent of the total funding for the program remaining, consumers should act quickly to take advantage of instant rebates.  Sales volume related to this program is currently more than $30 million. Over the average lifetime of these appliances, consumers should expect to save more than $33 million in energy bills and over 455 billion Btus.

For frequent updates on the status of funds remaining in this program, please visit www.appliancerebates.sc.gov. Updates are also regularly posted to www.twitter.com/SCEnergyOffice.