SAN DIEGO, April 21, 2010 – San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) and the California Energy Commission have teamed to offer San Diego County residents rebates for trading in their old refrigerators, clothes washers and room air conditioners for new energy-efficient models as they cash in on $35.2 million of federal stimulus rebates beginning on Earth Day, April 22, 2010.  The California Cash for Appliances rebate program will offer cash rebates to consumers that replace and recycle existing appliances with new, qualified energy efficient models.

        “The California Cash for Appliances rebate program recycles inefficient refrigerators, clothes washers and room air conditioners with more efficient ones,” said Hal Snyder, vice president of customer solutions for SDG&E.  “A new ENERGY STAR® -qualified refrigerator, for example, will use 50 percent less energy as those made in the 1990s, and 80 percent less energy than those made in the 1970s.”

        To help consumers prepare for the statewide rebate program, the California Cash for Appliances Web site lists eligible appliances as well as local participating retailers, as well as instructions on filling out the rebate forms, as well as information on recycling older, inefficient appliances at California certified recyclers.  Customers interested in saving energy, saving money and helping the environment should look for the “California Cash for Appliances” sticker at local retailers.

        SDG&E customers can get a $200 rebate for an eligible refrigerator, $150 for an efficient clothes washer, and $50 for a qualified room air conditioner.  These rebates may be combined with current SDG&E rebates or by those offered by manufacturers or retailers.  SDG&E currently offers customers $50 to recycle an older, working refrigerator or freezer and $25 to replace a working room air conditioner.

        Customers can only receive one rebate on each type of appliance, on a first-come, first-served basis until the funds are depleted.

        Funding for the program comes from the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA).  California has been allocated $35.2 million in federal ARRA funds to participate in the State Energy Efficient Appliance Rebate Program (SEEARP).  The California Energy Commission is administering the SEEARP that will provide rebates to consumers for purchasing qualified home appliances during the rebate period.
 
        SDG&E is a regulated public utility that provides safe and reliable energy service to 3.4 million consumers through 1.4 million electric meters and more than 840,000 natural gas meters in San Diego and southern Orange counties.  The utility’s area spans 4,100 square miles.  SDG&E is committed to creating ways to help our customers save energy and money every day.  SDG&E is a subsidiary of Sempra Energy (NYSE: SRE), a Fortune 500 energy services holding company based in San Diego.

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