Money to replace things that make a house a home

By Jeff Alexander
Hudson-Catskill Newspapers

CATSKILL — Gov. Andrew Cuomo has launched an $8 million appliance grant program for those who sustained property damage as a result of Tropical Storm Irene.
“This program will cover the costs for critical household appliances and help New Yorkers who suffered property damage to save money as they rebuild after the storms,” Cuomo’s office said in a statement.
Grants will be a fixed amount for different appliances and could cover up to 100 percent of the costs of the purchase. If the cost of the appliance exceeds the cap, the program will pay a portion of the total costs up to the cap.
The list of eligible equipment, appliances and rebate levels is as follows: refrigerators $350 (Energy Star), clothes washers $250 (Energy Star), clothes dryers with moisture sensor $250 (Energy Star), dehumidifiers $100 (Energy Star), furnace $2,000 (Energy Star), boiler $2,500 (Energy Star), hot water heater tanks $400 (electric-higher efficiency; gas-Energy Star). Purchases of appliances and equipment, with the exception of dehumidifiers, must be for replacement purposes only and purchases covered by insurance or FEMA are not eligible. All grants will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. Applications can be filed at www.NYSApplianceRebates.com or by calling 1-877-NY-SMART. People should act quickly because the program will continue until funding is no longer available.
“This rebate program will cover most if not all the costs of new equipment purchased helping people stay in their homes and return to life as usual as soon as possible,” said Senator James L. Seward, R-Oneonta.
The program will be administered by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority(NYSERDA) with funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
Seward praised Cuomo for the additional relief the program provides to storm victims.
“Governor Cuomo has shown true leadership in the aftermath of these storms and I look forward to continuing to work together to rebuild communities across our state,” said Seward.
Greene County officials are continuing to work to rebuild communities affected by the storms.
The New York State Attorney General’s Office will continue to hold in-person “office hours” at the Greene County Office Building on Main Street. The next date will be Sept. 29 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Representatives on hand will be able to provide further information on the household appliance grant.