WASHINGTON — The recent spike in factory shipments of major appliances began to wane in May as the federally funded “cash for appliances” rebate programs ran their course, the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) reports. Home laundry-equipment sales were flat.According to the latest wholesale data compiled by AHAM, total major-appliance-unit shipments fell 11% in May from the prior month, although they exceeded the year-ago period by 6%.The core AHAM six categories (washers, dryers, dishwashers, refrigerators, freezers, ranges and ovens) rose 10.6% year over year.The home-laundry category, along with cooking equipment, retreated from a double-digit spike in April. Washer volume was flat, while shipments of gas dryers rose 10.2%. That limited total category growth to just 1.4% in May, compared with a 13% increase in April. Total laundry units slipped 12% month to month, to 1.1 million pieces.While the rebate programs have generally been credited with boosting sales, how well did these programs actually work? States paid out less than half the money set aside for rebates on energy-efficient household appliances, according to the Department of Energy. In addition, only 16 states have used up all their funding. Some states with low rebate amounts or a limited range of eligible products experienced slow sales.Some blame confusing rebate rules for less-than-expected sales. For example, nearly two-dozen states require buyers to reserve rebates before making purchases and then to submit receipts to receive the rebates. Some states have all their allocations reserved, but have paid out a fraction. Those unable to claim a reservation have been put on a waiting list.Small rebates, such as $25 on certain items, may also have curbed shopper enthusiasm. States offering the largest checks — $150 or more per appliance — have had some of the largest responses.
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