Yep, I know this one. We had a propane water heater that was costing me about $100 a month just to have a hot shower. When we switched to our most marvelous Bosch electric waterheater, we found out that we couldn't get the tax credit because we changed fuel sources. In other words, my hot water now costs me $20 to $25 per month, saving $75 or so, but no tax credit. Growl... Betsy At 09:42 AM 10/9/2009, you wrote: > > >Dan and all: Our electric utility, in an effort to reduce peak >Summer demand offers an $800 credit for replacing air conditioning >systems with a SEER Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio of 8 with one >rated at 16. The new unit we're going to be paying for for the next >few years is in fact rated at 16 SEER. The system it replaces dates >from some time around 1992, and I understand parts are no longer >easily obtainable for it. In order to qualify for the credit, a >certified technician runs a test on the old equipment, presumably >determining how much current is used to create a BTU or 100 BTUs or >whatever. I assume that this ratio is the basis for SEER, though I >havein't actually done much research. Anyway, the furnace folks told >us that there was a 75% probability our old sistem would qualify for >the credit. Unfortunately, when the lad did the test, ours was >operating at 8.1 SEER, not the magic 8, so we lost the $800 bucks. I >was unhappy, disappointed and displeased with thi >s, so I called the sales folks and told them not geting the credit >was a deal breaker. I got an Email back saying they'd discount the >thing $450, so we only got shafted for $350, which I guess feels a >little better. >Additionally, I wound up buying the 3KW generator from Aldis, and >decided to be smart and have a qualified electrician do a pigtail >and switch on the new furnace. I thought I was being very clever in >doing this, but I found out that because there's a belief that >portable generators don't generate consistently, the manufacturer's >warantee would be voided if we did this. I guess new furnaces all >run off sensitive circuit boards these days. > >Bill Stephan >Kansas Citty MO >Email: <mailto:wstephan%40everestkc.net>[email protected] >Phone: (816)803-2469 > >----- Original Message ----- >From: Dan Rossi <<mailto:dr25%40andrew.cmu.edu>[email protected]> >Date: Friday, October 9, 2009 2:19 pm >Subject: [BlindHandyMan] What? The government ambiguous? > > Bill, > > > > I know what you mean, both about the new furnace being painful, > > and the > > government being a bit ambiguous. > > > > Several years ago I had a new furnace and integrated hot water > > tank > > installed. I didn't opt for the super high efficiency model > > because it > > was just too expensive and I didn't believe that it would save me > > enough > > money to justify the additional cost. > > > > Even though I was replacing a very old, battered very inefficient > > furnace, > > I couldn't get the tax credit because it wasn't like a 94% > > efficient > > furnace. > > > > On the other hand, I did get something like 250 bucks off of my > > taxes > > because of a new door that I installed. It had the low E glass > > and > > everything. Of course, I ripped out a wall to install the door, > > so not > > sure that was exactly in the spirit of the law, but they didn't > > ask that. > > > > I am now waiting to see about tax credits and government subsidies > > on > > appliances so I can get a new washer and possibly dryer. > > > > -- > > Blue skies. > > Dan Rossi > > Carnegie Mellon University. > > E-Mail: <mailto:dr25%40andrew.cmu.edu>[email protected] > > Tel: (412) 268-9081 > > >
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