Texas is tapping into $23.3 million in federal stimulus funding to offer a rebate program this spring to help residents replace older, inefficient appliances with energy-efficient appliances.

The mail-in rebates will apply to eligible appliances purchased between April 16 and April 25. The 10-day period will coincide with the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, April 22.

There will be one flat rebate amount for refrigerators, freezers and room air conditioners while the rebate amount for clothes washers, dishwashers, central air conditioners, heat pumps and water heaters will depend on the appliance type and energy efficiency of the model:

• Refrigerators - $240
• Freezers - $180
• Room air conditioners - $45
• Clothes washers - $150 or $180
• Dishwashers - $110 or $140
• Central air conditioners - $600, $800 or $1,000
• Heat pumps - $1,200 to $1,600
• Water heaters - $255 to $640

The program will also offer an additional $75 rebate for Texans who buy an eligible appliance and recycle the same type of functional old appliance.

Consumers will have an opportunity to reserve an appliance rebate by calling a toll-free number or registering online approximately two weeks prior to April 16. After the reserved mail-in rebates are awarded, any remaining funds will be rebated to consumers on a first-come, first-served basis. Shoppers will be limited to two appliance rebates and two recycling rebates per household.

The state is also working with retailers and recycling facilities to create a system to help consumers replace functional old appliances and recycle them where available.

The program is one of 56 State Energy-Efficient Appliance Rebate Programs, popularly known as Cash for Appliances, that are being set up in the United States and six U.S. territories with the help of federal stimulus money.

Texas will receive about $23.3 million of the nearly $300 million in stimulus funding available nationwide from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

Consumers can sign up for e-mail updates on the rebate program at www.secostimulus.org/rebate or visit the State Energy Conservation Office's Web site for more details.