Heat with an old wood stove? Save $500 to $1000 to upgrade it now!
The heating season is here, and the Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency (Spokane Clean Air) is offering an incentive for local residents to upgrade their old wood burning stoves and fireplace inserts to new wood, pellet, or gas devices that are cleaner and more efficient.
“This grant can help people replace their inefficient, smoky, old wood stoves,” said Lisa Woodard, Spokane Clean Air Public Information Officer. “Replacing them with new, more efficient devices has a direct and positive impact on air quality.”
According to Spokane Clean Air, during the months of October through March, residential wood heating is the largest contributor to fire particle pollution in our area. Stoves manufactured before 1995 are especially dirty, emitting two-and-a-half to three times more smoke than today’s versions.
“There are many benefits to upgrading old woodstoves,” explained Woodard. “Not only will you save money on heating costs – but you are taking active steps to protect your family’s health by reducing dust and soot in your home.”
To be eligible for the program, applicants must be homeowners residing in the Smoke Control Zone or in the city limits of Deer Park, and regularly heat with a wood burning stove or fireplace insert that was made prior to 1995 or is non-EPA-certified.
Approved applicants qualify to save hundreds of dollars to upgrade their old wood burning stove or fireplace insert. The discount amount is subtracted from the purchase and installation cost of the new device by a participating home heating/hearth business and is based on the type of device selected for the upgrade: $500 toward wood, $750 toward pellet, and $1,000 toward a gas stove or ductless mini-split heat pump.
Spokane Clean Air has been administering various woodstove change-out programs since 2005. During that time, 558 uncertified devices have been replaced. This calculates to 21.7 tons of fine particles of smoke reduced annually from Spokane’s air shed.
The current woodstove change-out program launched over the summer, and is funded by a one-year clean air grant from the Washington State Department of Ecology. Over forty applicants have been approved so far, with remaining funds for approximately 50 additional change-outs.
Residents can learn more about the program and apply online at DPGazette.com/woodstovegrant
