If you’ve been eyeing a shiny new clothes washer, now might be the time to act as the City of Richmond is rolling out a temporary program that provides Richmond homeowners with a $100 or $200 rebate by replacing their old clothes washers with a new, high efficiency model from ENERGY STAR.
The rebate program is a joint project by the City of Richmond and BC Hydro that hopes to limit one of the highest water consumers in most households.
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Close washers use approximately 21 per cent of indoor household water, and are only second to toilets. By switching to a high-efficiency washer, homeowners can save up to 64,000 litres of water and 256 kWh of electricity each year.
How the rebate works, according to the City of Richmond:
Those eligible for a City/Hydro rebate must install a pre-qualified clothes washer within a home located in Richmond (lifetime maximum of one rebate per dwelling). Qualifying ENERGY STAR clothes washers can be found at www.powersmart.ca/appliances.
The clothes washer must be ordered, purchased (either paid in full or with the first portion paid) and installed between September 30 and November 30, 2016.
Within 60 days from the purchase date, a completed rebate application must be submitted to BC Hydro, along with a photocopy of purchase invoices/receipts and before and after photos of the old and new clothes washer in place.
Pictures do not need to be professional photo prints. BC Hydro will issue a cheque for the total rebate amount of $100 or $200, depending on the energy and water consumption rates of the new clothes washer.
The program also asks that old clothes washers are taken out of circulation and disposed of appropriately. Residents can do so at the Richmond Recycling Depot or by opting into other recycling services.