If your old refrigerator eats money or your washing machine loses more energy than socks, you could be wasting hundreds of dollars in energy each year and should take advantage of the third-annual Texas ENERGY STAR® Sales Tax Holiday. Texans who want to purchase a new air conditioner, refrigerator, dishwasher or certain other appliances can get big savings on energy efficient products over Memorial Day weekend. During the annual three-day tax holiday, which runs May 29 – 31 this year, Texas shoppers do not have to pay state and local sales tax on certain energy efficient products.
“The less energy you waste today on inefficient appliances, the more you can save for the future, and on Memorial Day weekend Texans have the opportunity to cash in twice on energy efficient appliances,” said Texas Comptroller Susan Combs. “It’s a great opportunity for consumers to save at the register and at home, where they’ll see the benefits returned in energy savings on their utility bills.”
The tax holiday begins at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, May 29, and ends at 11:59 p.m. on Monday, May 31 (Memorial Day). Texas shoppers get a break from sales taxes when they purchase household equipment bearing an ENERGY STAR label. Shoppers can expect to save about $3 million overall in state and local sales taxes during the event.
The ENERGY STAR Sales Tax Holiday applies only to the following appliances and household equipment, as listed in the state tax code: air conditioners priced less than $6,000, refrigerators priced less than $2,000, ceiling fans, incandescent and fluorescent light bulbs, clothes washers, dishwashers, dehumidifiers and programmable thermostats, along with installation and delivery charges for these products.
More information about the tax holiday is available at www.texaspowerfulsmart.org.
ENERGY STAR is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy for products that meet strict energy efficiency guidelines. Qualifying products display the ENERGY STAR logo on the appliance, the packaging or the Energy Guide label. Clothes dryers are not included in the sales tax holiday because they use similar amounts of energy; therefore, the program does not label clothes dryers. For details on products, visit www.energystar.gov.
