A while back, the government tried to give a much needed boost to the auto industry with the “cash for clunkers” program. The idea was if you turned in a car made with low gas mileage and replaced it with a more fuel efficient model you would get an extra rebate incentive. Guess what? It worked! Cars started flying off the showroom floors. Congress had to jump back in and juice up the program with even more cash. It was just what the auto industry needed to bounce back and now they are reporting big earnings. Well, if it worked for cars why not for air conditioners or gas furnaces or heat pumps?

Here’s the official response to that question: “The State of Tennessee’s Department of Economic and Community Development, in concert with the U.S. Department of Energy, is making rebates available to Tennessee residents who replace an existing room air conditioner, central air conditioner, air source heat pump, or gas furnace with a new ENERGY STAR qualified model.”

So, how does this work? First of all, any Tennessee resident who is homeowners or renters is eligible for the rebate offer. What you need to do is buy an ENERGY STAR qualified room air conditioners, central air conditioners, air source heat pumps, and gas furnaces that replaces your existing appliances from any Tennessee retailers or licensed heating contractors. You also need to have that new appliance installed within the State of Tennessee. Keep in mind that this is a limited frame of when you can buy these appliances and how much money is in the fund. Appliances must be purchased from April 22, 2010 through February 17, 2012. The rebates will be paid on a first come, first serve basis. The total amount of available funds is $5,660,000. When that runs out, the deal is done.

You should also know that there is a limit of one rebate per household. And you’re getting your rebates with a Prepaid MasterCard Card which can only be mailed to a Tennessee address or post office box. But wait, there’s more! Consumers might be able to combine federal, state, and utility rebates to boost their savings even more. Bottom line: don’t just run off to buy a new AC and call it a day. Check with the utility company first and see what they’re offering. This also holds true with a bunch of kitchen appliances as well. Things like refrigerators, washing machines and dryers could be eligible for some kind of rebate.

In your rush to get a rebate, you’ve also got the think about getting rid of that old appliance. That’s when you should call in a team of professional haulers like Junk King Chattanooga who can show up and get rid of that old appliance. These experienced haulers can load up any size appliance onto their truck and make sure it is disposed of properly. Play it right and you can have the old appliance taken out on the same day as the new one comes in. Just how are you going to spend your rebate?