$300, $500

Amount Alaskans who qualify for a rebate can get back on the purchase of a new Energy Star-qualified refrigerator or freezer, according to Alaska's approved plan in the U.S. Department of Energy's $300 million State Energy Efficient Appliance Rebate Program.

By comparison, residents of Delaware will receive $100 on a refrigerator and $50 on a freezer. Alaska's plan will go into effect in February while Delaware's is running this month.

States established their own parameters for the cash for clunkers for appliances rebates. Alaska has received $658,000 and decided to provide rebates only to residents with disabilities. That decision allowed the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation to dole out bigger individual rebates. The AHFC also decided to provide different rebate amounts depending on where people live. Urban dwellers will receive a $300 rebate on a refrigerator or a freezer, while people in rural areas will get back $500 per appliance "because of the much higher cost of purchasing and shipping appliances to [rural] areas," according to the AHFC.

Among the different approaches for cash for clunkers for appliances we've noticed, California will provide rebates on air conditioners, washers, and refrigerators but not on boilers and furnaces when its rebate program goes live in March. Up the coast in Oregon, whose program is in effect now, rebates are available  to low-income residents for the purchase of energy-efficient heating systems.

So far, the DOE has approved rebate plans for 34 states and two territories. Visit the DOE's Rebates for Energy Star Appliances page for the latest details.—Daniel DiClerico | e-mail | Twitter | Forums | Facebook

Essential information: If you're in the market for new appliances, look for the links to free buyer's guides on our appliances hub.