New York Governor Offers Rebates for These Energy-Saving Appliances

Governor Kathy Hochul has announced an initiative that she says is designed to make energy-efficient appliances more accessible to low- and moderate-income families in New York.

The program, known as the Appliance Upgrade Program, is the first of its kind, offering retail point-of-sale appliance rebates to provide a customer-centered process for replacing inefficient electric or fossil fuel-powered clothes dryers with clean heat pump-powered alternatives.

Through this program, eligible New Yorkers can now receive rebates at participating retailers for the purchase of energy-efficient appliances, specifically replacing outdated or inefficient dryers with cleaner alternatives. Additionally, the program offers support for necessary electrical wiring and/or panel upgrades related to the installation of these energy-efficient appliances.

Governor Hochul emphasized the importance of this initiative, stating, “New York is demonstrating its continued commitment to ensuring an equitable energy transition by leveraging all federal funds available to incentivize consumers to make energy efficient appliance purchases a priority.”

The program, run by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), is funded by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) through the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Home Energy Rebate (HER) Programs.

The Appliance Upgrade Program aims to allow income-eligible customers earning up to 150 percent of the state’s area median income (AMI) to apply for rebates on a first-come, first-served basis. The program incentivizes the replacement of non-working, outdated, or inefficient dryers with ENERGY STAR® certified heat pump clothes dryers, which use significantly less energy compared to conventional dryers.

Households under 80 percent AMI are also eligible for additional support through the EmPower+ program, which helps low- and moderate-income households save energy and money toward energy improvements made to their primary residence.

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The rebate program is set to expand in 2025, including additional clean energy appliances and eligibility for owners of residential low- and moderate-income multifamily buildings to apply for rebates.