Last Month to file for COBRA Health Insurance Continuation Coverage Assistance Under ARRA

COBRA Continuation Coverage Assistance Under ARRA

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) provides for premium reductions and additional election opportunities for health benefits under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985, commonly called COBRA. Eligible individuals pay only 35 percent of their COBRA premiums and the remaining 65 percent is reimbursed to the coverage provider through a tax credit. The premium reduction applies to periods of health coverage beginning on or after February 17, 2009 and lasts for up to nine months for those eligible for COBRA during the period beginning September 1, 2008 and ending December 31, 2009 due to an involuntary termination of employment that occurred during that period. The TAA Health Coverage Improvement Act of 2009, enacted as part of ARRA, also made changes with regard to COBRA continuation coverage.

WARM Advantage Program

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WARMAdvantage

Program Overview The WARMAdvantage Program provides rebates for high efficiency natural gas home heating systems and/or water heaters. When selecting a contractor, be sure to ask if they are NATE certified. North American Technician Excellence (NATE) is the leading national certification program for technicians.  For a list of NATE certified contractors who participate in the WARMAdvantage Program, contact the Eastern Heating & Cooling Council at 800-247-6547, or visit www.eh-cc.org. Install a gas heating system and/or domestic water heater that meets all applicable efficiency requirements based on the Gas Appliance Manufacturers Association (GAMA) Consumers Directory of Certified Efficiency Ratings. Qualifying heating systems installed in new homes must be located in “Smart Growth” areas of NJ in order to receive an incentive. To determine if a location is in a designated Smart Growth area, use the Smart Growth Locator located on the HMFA web site and check the State Plan Quad PDF files.

New rebate levels went into effect April 1, 2009.

Equipment Type Minimum Efficiency Level for units purchased on or after April 1, 2009 Incentive Gas Furnace AFUE* 92% or greater, ENERGY STAR $300 Gas Furnace with ECM* AFUE 92% or greater, ENERGY STAR $400 Gas Boiler AFUE 85% or greater, ENERGY STAR $300 Domestic Hot Water Heater EF* .62 or greater $25 Domestic Hot Water Heater EF .82 or greater $300

*AFUE (Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency), ECM (Electronically Commutated Motor), EF (Energy Factor) ENERGY STAR qualified product lists may be found at http://www.energystar.gov. Opportunity for an Additional Incentive If you qualify for the WARMAdvantage rebate, and you had the Home Performance with ENERGY STAR assessment done on your home, you may be eligible for an extra $900 rebate from your gas company.  Elizabethtown Gas, New Jersey Natural Gas, and South Jersey Gas offer extra incentives on WARMAdvantage qualified furnace and boiler installations.  Check their websites for applications and additional information. Features and Benefits High-efficiency natural gas furnaces and boilers carry the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) ENERGY STAR label to help consumers distinguish between standard and high-efficiency equipment. To learn more about the benefits of high-efficiency equipment, visit the ENERGY STAR Web site. Qualifying high-efficiency water heaters have an Energy Factor of .62 or greater. Eligibility Requirements This Program targets residential homes that install a new natural gas furnace, boiler and/or water heater. To qualify for a rebate under this Program, you must: Purchase and install a new natural gas furnace with an AFUE of 92% or greater, a boiler with an AFUE of 85% or greater and/or a natural gas water heater with an Energy Factor of .62 or greater. Install and operate the furnace, boiler or water heater in a residence that is supplied by natural gas directly from one of the New Jersey gas utilities and has a residential gas account number. Note: Customers participating in the New Jersey ENERGY STAR Homes new construction program are not eligible for rebates through the WARMAdvantage Program. Installations in newly constructed homes are only eligible for rebates in Smart Growth areas, defined as Planning Areas 1 and 2, as well as Designated Centers, on the State Plan Map. Please call 866-NJSMART to request a rebate application.  As part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities has submitted a proposal to the federal government to offer New Jersey residents additional incentives on high efficiency heating and cooling equipment.  The incentives are tentatively scheduled to be offered in January 2010.  Please check back often for details. Federal Tax Credits are now available for energy efficient home improvements.  The program also offers rebates on the purchase of energy-efficient central air conditioning and heat pumps.   Also, learn about getting a home energy assessment from Home Performance with ENERGY STAR.

Refrigerator/Freezer Recycling Program in NJ

Refrigerator/Freezer Recycling Program

You'd be amazed at what your old refrigerator can save!

The Refrigerator/Freezer Recycling program is a new initiative from New Jersey's Clean Energy Program.  This program promotes responsible recycling of refrigerators and freezers in New Jersey and offers a $30 cash incentive.
Recycling your old refrigerator/freezer is easy, and you can earn money too.  It's simple. Here's how...

• To arrange for a free pick up of your old refrigerator/freezer call 877-270-3520 or schedule online at JACO Environmental.

• Get $30 cash back for recycling responsibly once your transaction is processed. 

• Save up to $150 a year on energy costs by recycling an old fridge.

To Participate in this Initiative:

• You must be a New Jersey resident and a customer of Atlantic City Electric, Jersey Central Power & Light, PSE&G, or Rockland Electric Company.
• You must own the refrigerator or freezer being recycled.
• Your refrigerator or freezer must be between 10 and 30 cubic feet in size.
• Refrigerator and freezer must be in working condition.
• Limit two units per residential address.
• Restrictions may apply.
• Incentives are processed within 90-120 days.
• Customers of municipal electric utilities do not qualify.

Energy and Environmental Facts:

• On average a newer refrigerator or freezer consumes 1,000 fewer kilowatt-hours annually than a refrigerator or freezer manufactured before 1990.
• Recycling 20,000 older refrigerators or freezers will result in energy savings equal to the amount of power used in approximately 1,400 homes annually.
• Recycling 20,000 older refrigerators or freezers would result in the avoidance of CO₂ emissions equal to removing 40,000 cars from the road for one year.  
• Learn more about refrigerator/freezer recycling facts.

Background Information:

• Recycling Program Process
• Why Recycle?
• Glossary of Terms
• Recycled Materials
• Program FAQs