Energy rebates on appliances don't move water heaters

[phantom power]

WASHINGTON — Lured by $300 million in stimulus-funded rebates on energy-efficient appliances, consumers have bought more than 615,000 washing machines, refrigerators and other appliances under the "dollars for dishwashers" program.

But despite rebates up to $425, less than 3% of those consumers bought water heaters — often the second-largest energy hog in the home, according to a USA TODAY analysis of federal data obtained under the Freedom of Information Act.

...

Energy officials and experts cite a number of factors for the lower-than-expected numbers so far:

•Weather. For most states, the rebate program launched in March or April, giving a boost to cooling appliances like refrigerators and air conditioners, said Energy spokeswoman Jen Stutsman. "Climate is one of the driving factors," she said.

•Visibility. Most people don't think about their water heaters until they break. "You don't buy it because one day you say, 'Gee, I want to buy a water heater,' " said Jeff Harris of the Alliance to Save Energy. "You buy it because one day you walk downstairs and see a puddle on the floor."

•Distribution. Customers usually buy refrigerators, clothes washers and other "white goods" from retail stores, while plumbers often select the replacement water heaters, Stutsman said. "As states are re-examining and relaunching the programs to make the best use of their money, they're reaching out to the heating and plumbing contractor community," she said.

•State rules. The federal government allowed each state to craft its own rules for the program based on local needs. Only 29 states or territories offered rebates on water heaters.

http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/environment/2010-11-16-appliances16_ST_N.htm

[Vodid]

1. Overlooking the obvious...

Replacing a water heater requires hiring a plumber unless you're comfortable wrenching on gas and water lines yourself. Plumbers in my region charge about $90 per hour.

[joshcryer]

2. Not only that, water heaters tend to last a really long time, no moving parts (usually).

So most people are just looking at water heaters and going "eh, it ain't broke, don't fix it."

[FBaggins]

4. The ones that qualify are also *MUCH* more expensive than a traditional HWH.

They tend to last longer and (in the right circumstances) can save money over the long-haul, but they're definitely expensive.

[FBaggins]

3. They worked for me.

We replaced out old HWH with a tankless model last year and love it.

It doesn't just save money, we never run out of hot water.

[Kennah]

5. A new roof drove a friend of mine solar ...

... however, he was already a true believer and wanted to go solar.

His torchdown roof wasn't going to survive another winter so he sat down and talked to a roofer and a solar installer.

He looked at options, and I told him if all else get solar hot water even if he didn't get PVs. He settled on a middle ground approach with a 1.8 KW PV array, stanchions to cover his whole roof with a 3.6 KW potential he can upgrade to panel by panel, and solar hot water.

Take a look.
http://enlighten.enphaseenergy.com/public/systems/w5wb8124

Any remodel job can involve energy efficient and/or green upgrades.

The low hanging fruit includes things like programmable thermostats and CFLs.