Equipment tends to wear down after a lot of use. If you run a commercial kitchen, you may qualify for rebates from energy utilities that will either pay outright or give you a huge discount on equipment. Some of these rebates can be more than $10,000 per unit, so you want to make sure you take advantage of this program. 

Both Avista Utilities and Puget Sound Energy offer commercial customers rebates on foodservice equipment. If you are hoping to upgrade or replace your fryer, reach-in freezers or other items, you should act fast. Many of these rebates may not be available after Dec. 31. 

According to energystar.gov, about 35% of energy usage in full-service restaurants is attributed to food preparation. Twenty-eight percent is from heating or ventilation. Lighting accounts for 13% of energy use, sanitation is 18%, and refrigeration is 6%. 

“The more efficient the pieces of equipment are…the lower your utility bills in general,” said Tianna Byrtus, an energy efficiency program director at PSE. 

When you purchase this equipment, it is important to note that you don’t have to fill out any paperwork or wait for a check. Your dealer will help you with the purchase and take care of the rest. 

“Major cooking appliances account for almost 35% of the average restaurant’s energy expenditures,” according to Avista Utilities. “Efficient equipment could help decrease your energy use by as much as 75% compared to standard efficiency equipment.” 

Items on the list for rebates include: 

  • Deep vat fryers 
  • Connectionless steamers 
  • Cooktops and ranges 
  • Griddles 
  • Conveyor toasters 
  • Steam tables  
  • Induction soup wells 
  • Holding bins 
  • Ovens 
  • Ice machines 
  • Commercial refrigerators and freezers 
  • Commercial dishwashers 
  • Hood ventilation 

Both Avista and PSE recommend using a foodservice equipment dealer such as our allied partners Alteza – they will be your experts as you navigate your way through this process. For a list of other qualified dealers, please see our Going Green toolkit and click on the Utility Rebates tab. 

“Participating dealers are trained to find and offer instant rebates on eligible new foodservice equipment,” said Byrtus. She also stressed that high efficiency equipment will lower your energy costs and have a positive environmental impact. 

If your utility is not PSE or Avista, you can find a list of other utilities that offer this rebate in our Going Green toolkit and click on the Utility Rebates tab. 

Lodging 

If you are a PSE customer and operate a lodging business, you could qualify for rebates on heat pumps and occupancy-based thermostats. There are some pre-approval requirements, so be sure to read through those. You can also receive a free energy assessment to find out how you can improve your building for better energy efficiency. 

This program is very popular. Please note that PSE may have a backlog on this program because of high demand. 

Watch the webinar 

The Washington Hospitality Association conducted a webinar with PSE, Avista and Alteza in 2023. The prices of the rebates and the items that qualify for rebates may have changed since this recording, but the information about receiving the rebates and about becoming more energy efficient is still current.