Incentive Amounts
The El Dorado Air Quality Management District (AQMD) manages a countywide change-out program that stretches from the eastern edge of the Sacramento region to South Lake Tahoe. El Dorado County residents are eligible for a $500 reimbursement if they replace their uncertified wood burning appliance with an EPA certified wood or pellet appliance or $600 for complete removal or if they replace it with a new electric, natural gas, or propane appliance. Fireplaces with glass or metal doors are eligible, and open-face fireplaces are only eligible if they are the only source of heat in the home. Residents of the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency district are eligible to receive an additional $300.

Program Duration
The program is ongoing until funds are depleted.

Procedure
Residents interested in the incentive must first submit an application to AQMD for pre-approval and schedule a site inspection. If approved, they also may need to apply to obtain a building permit. The AQMD covers the building permit cost. Once the permit is issued, applicants remove the old stove and render it permanently inoperable (i.e., recycled or disposed at a licensed facility). After the new device is installed and the Building Department conducts a final inspection, applicants submit before and after pictures, disposal and new appliance receipts, and final building permits to the AQMD. To secure funding, claims must be submitted to the AQMD within six months of the pre-approval date.

Requirements
Applicants must have used the old stove in their owner-occupied primary residence for at least a year to qualify, and incentives are limited to one per person or per address. Pre-approval from AQMD is required prior to removing the old stove. Applicants can purchase a qualifying device from any retailer. In the Lake Tahoe Regional Planning Agency district, all residential wood burning appliances that do not meet EPA emissions standards must be removed upon the sale of the property and no uncertified stoves can be installed. Self-installation is permitted, but the new device must be able to pass the building inspection.

More Information
For more information, please visit the program website or contact the District at (530) 621-7501 or aqmd@edcgov.us.