Pennsylvania Offering Rebates For Gas-To-Electric Lawn Equipment Exchange

Purchase of new electric or battery-powered lawn equipment (such as John Deere's electric lawn mower, pictured) must be completed by June 1 and the rebate information mailed into the Southwest Pennsylvania Air Quality Partnership by June 15. To claim the rebate, residents need to send a copy of a receipt, the UPC code from the product box and the rebate coupon they received at the True Value Store.

The Southwest Pennsylvania Air Quality Partnership Inc. is offering a lawn equipment exchange program to cut down on air pollution.

Residents can exchange gasoline-powered lawn equipment now through June 1 for a rebate toward the purchase of electric or battery-powered equipment at 15 participating True Value stores in Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Greene, and Westmoreland counties.

The partnership is offering 400 rebates on a first-come, first-served basis. One rebate will be issued per household for an electric or battery-powered lawnmower, trimmer, chainsaw, leaf blower or push mower, provided a piece of working gasoline-powered lawn equipment is exchanged.

Residents can receive the following rebates: $150 toward an electric mower, $100 toward a battery-powered or push mower, $30 toward an electric or battery leaf blower or trimmer and $50 toward an electric or battery-powered chainsaw.

Gasoline-powered lawn equipment creates volatile organic compounds that produce ground-level ozone, especially in the summer, said Betsy Mallison, coordinator of the exchange program.