Buyers save energy, water, money

It pays to save energy.

Starting Thursday, Georgia shoppers can take advantage of tax savings on energy- and water-efficient appliances through the 2009 Energy and Water Efficient Products Sales Tax Holiday.

Customers can purchase energy-efficient products such as dishwashers, refrigerators and clothes washers tax-free through Sunday. They are exempt from paying Georgia and local sales tax on designated items with a price of $1,500 or less per product, according to the Georgia Department of Revenue.

The items must meet requirements established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Energy "Energy Star" programs.

Ronnie Varner, the general manager at Appliance Land on Washington Road, said the sales tax holiday brings in extra business each year.

"It gives a customer a chance to buy an item and immediately save 7 percent off of it without having to pay the tax. I think people are interested in saving as much energy as they can, so these Energy Star programs work very well," he said.

The sales tax exemptions are eligible for items purchased for noncommercial or personal use, according to the state. They do not apply to products with a purchase price more than $1,500, products purchased for use in a trade or business, or items that are rented or leased.

In South Carolina, the Energy Star Sales Tax Holiday scheduled for October has been eliminated, according to the South Carolina Department of Revenue. The monthlong tax holiday would have applied to purchases of specific energy-efficient products and would have taken place every October beginning this year, provided revenue growth forecasts for state government met or exceeded certain levels.

In May, the South Carolina Supreme Court ruled that the act authorizing the holiday was unconstitutional.

Reach LaTina Emerson at (706) 823-3227 or latina.emerson@augustachronicle.com.