A proposal to extend tax rebates on energy-saving home appliances for another two years has been approved by the Cabinet and is to be submitted to the legislature for review, Executive Yuan spokesman Lo Ping-cheng (羅秉成) said yesterday.
If lawmakers approve the amendments to the Commodity Tax Act (貨物稅條例), the incentives would continue until June 14, 2023, allowing a rebate of up to NT$2,000 (US$70.09) on new refrigerators, air-conditioners and dehumidifiers if they meet energy efficiency standards, Lo told reporters.
The Ministry of Finance, which submitted the proposal to the Cabinet for the incentives to be extended, said that there are still approximately 12.42 million air-conditioners and refrigerators more than 10 years old in homes in Taiwan — about 42.72 percent of those in domestic use.
Photo: Wu Pei-hua, Taipei Times
The continuation of the incentives, which were introduced in June 2019, would encourage more people to buy energy-efficient appliances, the ministry said.
Since June 2019, the incentive program has helped to save about 400 million kilowatt-hours of electricity per year, reducing energy bills and cutting carbon emissions by 220,000 tonnes, Lo said, citing data that Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) presented at a Cabinet meeting earlier in the day.
If the incentives are extended, refunds can be claimed by people who buy appliances that reach the “level 1” or “level 2” energy efficiency standards specified in a Bureau of Energy rating system.
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