Hot Topic Archives: Want $150 to give your wood heater the chop?
Eligible householders willing to remove and dispose of their wood heater for recycling are being offered a $150 rebate.
The money is being offered as part of the 2008 Wood Heater Rebate Program which gets under way this week.
The program is a major incentive and awareness initiative being implemented under the Perth Air Quality Management Plan (AQMP) to improve Perth’s air quality and is being run by DEC’s Air Quality Management Branch.
Rebates are available on a first come-first served basis to eligible residents of Perth and Mandurah. The program will run for three months or until all rebates are allocated.
AQMP Manager Robert Hughes said the rebate program aimed to remove older wood heater models from use in the Perth airshed.
"A lot of wood heaters are past their working life and do not comply with current standards. They burn far less cleanly that current models and, unfortunately, tend to last a long time," he said.
Smoke from domestic wood heaters is a major source of air pollution during winter in Perth. As well as degrading visibility, smoke particles can aggravate health problems for people with bronchitis, emphysema and asthma. There is also evidence that fine particulate matter can lead to premature deaths in susceptible populations.
The wood heater rebate program is limited to one rebate per person and involves residents taking their wood heaters to one of 10 disposal sites run by local governments, where they will be given a receipt and a form to send to DEC for their rebate.
In support of the program, Rinnai has donated three Sustainable Energy Development Office-approved Energysaver gas heaters. One will be given away each month through a prize draw. The program is also supported by Alinta.
The design of the 2008 rebate program is based on feedback received on the 2007 Wood Heater Policy Options Paper, a document that proposed a variety of approaches for tackling wood smoke in Perth and invited public and stakeholder input.
For more information on the program call 1300 886 162 or visit DEC’s website at http://airquality.environment.wa.gov.au - select the Halt the Haze link on the right hand side of the page.
Article from DECmatters dated 21st May 2008
