With Spring underway, many families are getting ready for the annual tradition of Spring Cleaning. Some use this as an opportunity do a deep cleaning of the home’s interior while others are ready to get out in the garden and yard to plant new flowers and shrubs. While you are showing off your green thumb outside, you can now make the inside green too.

Beginning this week Texans can earn cash back when updating, and upgrading, their home appliances. The Texas Trade Up Appliance Rebate Program has two goals that will both benefit Texans – stimulating the Texas economy and increasing energy conservation in our state. In effect, this program will pay off in both the rebate you can receive for purchasing a new appliance as well as with a decrease in your monthly utility bills.

The State Energy Conservation Office developed the Texas Trade Up Appliance Rebate Program after receiving more than $23 million of federal stimulus funding from the Department of Energy. The rebate program applies to residential ENERGY STAR appliance products which represent an improvement in efficiency compared to the majority of products on the market. Appliances must meet rigorous federal standards to be considered ENERGY STAR qualified. Qualified appliances must reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants caused by the inefficient use of energy. The ENERGY STAR label also helps consumers to identify and purchase energy-efficient products that offer savings on energy bills without sacrificing performance.

The Texas Trade Up Appliance Rebate Program is just one way in which you can work to make your home more energy efficient, decrease your utility bills, and increase comfort. The ENERGY STAR website (www.energystar.gov) includes a 5-minute survey you can take to compare your home’s energy efficiency to similar homes across the country. The site will then provide you with recommendations for other energy-saving home improvements you can make.

Texans can apply for up to $1,600 in rebates when replacing one or two older household appliances for energy efficient models. This rebate applies to most household appliances such as refrigerators, dishwashers, water heaters and more. In addition, if you properly recycle your old appliance, you can receive an extra rebate from the Appliance Rebate Program.

Once this year’s Spring Cleaning checklist is complete, you could also have lower utility bills and a more comfortable home in addition to a well-manicured yard and a dust-free house. There are a limited number of reservations that will be accepted, and once the $23 million has been reserved the offer will end. For more information and to enroll in the Texas Trade Up Appliance Rebate Program, visit their website at: www.TexasPowerfulSmart.org or call (877) 780-3039. Help improve our environment by making your home, community and our state more energy efficient.