State Approves 'Cash For Air Conditioners'

First there was cash for clunkers. Then, cash for appliances. Now, there's cash for air conditioners.

The state of Florida wants to help you upgrade your A/C. The state just approved the latest program, but the details are not ironed out yet.

People can replace their old air-conditioning units with a new Energy Star and get a rebate for doing so.

Cash for appliances was a huge success. People turned their clunkers in for energy-efficient appliances and there were so many that the federal stimulus money ran out in 48 hours.

Brian Wrong with Clums Climate Control sees that kind of success in store with cash for air conditioners.

“Air conditioners, being such energy hogs, people will absolutely want those dollars to replace air conditioners more than appliance money, and it will be gone faster," Wrong said.

The details are still being worked out, but state officials have approved the program that will give Floridians money back for new Energy Star-rated central air-conditioning units purchased before the end of the year. People will get a flat rebate, but that amount has not been set. However, it can be used in conjunction with a federal tax credit.

One small business owner told WFTV his A/C business has jumped 96 percent from last year and he attributes it all to the tax credit already in place.

Wrong thinks a cash for A/C incentive will cause his business to explode.

"If they can get any sort of rebate or incentives from the government cash back that's generally when people react and replace units before they break," Wrong said.

The new program only applies to central air units and most likely there will be no reservations or priority numbers required for the program. The details are expected to be announced in early August and the program could kick-off by the end of August.