Texans getting an eco-friendly sales tax reprieve

BROWNSVILLE -- Texans will have an added incentive to invest in so-called green energy this Memorial Day weekend.

State Rep. Rene Oliveira, D-Brownsville, announced the state's first-ever Energy Star Sales Tax Holiday. May 24-26, Texans will be able purchase energy-efficient household appliances and electronics without paying the 8.25 percent state-and-local sales tax usually charged in many cities across the state.

"The world is going to be a very different place for our children and their children," Oliveira said. "This isn't some crazy liberal idea. The basic cost of water or fueling a home is going to continue to become more and more astronomical."

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency introduced Energy Star in 1992 as a voluntary labeling program designed to identify and promote energy-efficient products to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Oliveira described the Energy Star Sales Tax Holiday as an investment in consumer awareness among a group of people he says tends to dismiss the importance of conservation.

"Some people still think it's silly to recycle," he said. "Buying a more efficient appliance will ultimately protect the environment and save you a lot of money."

With energy costs on the rise, investing in energy-efficient products, like a front-load washing machine, will ultimately save in electricity and water bills, with or without the tax break.

Even if a consumer isn't in the market for larger appliances, a simple transition from regular light bulbs to more energy-efficient ones should make a dramatic difference in their electricity use and energy bills.

This savings aren't obvious at the checkout counter. Energy Star compact fluorescent lightbulbs, or CFLs, cost about $1.75 each compared to about $1 for a regular incandescent lightbulb, but the more efficient CFLs last eight to 10 times longer.