FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 25, 2024
Now Accepting Requests for $150 Toilet Rebates with Expanded Eligibility
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - The City of Charlottesville is excited to announce the update and expansion of the Toilet Rebate Program. The rebate amount has been increased for up to $150 and eligibility has been expanded to cover old toilets that use 1.6 gallons per flush (gpf) or more.
The City’s Toilet Rebate Program has been available for just over 20 years and has issued over 7,400 toilet rebates to community residents to replace old, inefficient toilets with water-efficient, WaterSense-labeled toilets. This has saved Charlottesville over 787 million gallons of water. Although this has been a very successful program to help the community save water, the Water Conservation Program has noticed a decline in rebate requests over the past few years. This declining trend in rebate participation resulted in a thorough review of the City’s Toilet Rebate Program with the technical support of the WaterNow Alliance, a nonprofit network of local water decision makers advancing sustainable, affordable, equitable and climate resilient water. This program review identified that Charlottesville still has a stock of water-inefficient toilets, that the community is not sufficiently aware of the toilet rebate program, and that the program is not supportive of all community members. This program update and expansion is intended to address some of these issues and to align with other leading conservation programs in the United States.
Key Details in the Charlottesville Toilet Rebate Program:
- This rebate is only eligible to City of Charlottesville utility customers in good standing or homeowners in the City of Charlottesville.
- Any toilet rebate requests submitted after October 1st, 2024 are eligible for this updated rebate program.
- You must be replacing a toilet that uses 1.6 gpf or more.
- You must be installing a new EPA WaterSense-labeled toilet. WaterSense toilets have been verified by a third party to be at least 20% more efficient than standard toilets, while maintaining the same performance. Currently, WaterSense toilets use 1.28 gpf or less. Local retailers carry WaterSense toilets in several styles and price points and can be found for less than $150. You can use WaterSense’s Product Finder (LINK) to help identify eligible water fixtures.
- You have not used this rebate program previously more than three times. This includes any rebate requests of the old Toilet Rebate Program.
- You must provide a completed rebate form with a detailed receipt for the toilet and/or installation costs.
- The Toilet Rebate Program is a rebate of up to $150 per toilet, which includes the cost of the toilet and/or installation costs (with appropriate submitted receipts).
- Multi-family homes, apartments, and commercial properties can apply for a toilet rebate as well. Please reference the Water Conservation Toilet Rebate Webpage (LINK) for rebate amounts and eligibility details.
Toilet Rebate Forms:
How to Submit a Rebate Request:
City of Charlottesville - Office of Utility Billing
PO Box 591
Charlottesville, VA 22902
To learn more about the Charlottesville Water Conservation Program including additional water saving rebates and free incentives, visit Charlottesville.gov/WaterConservation (LINK).
Do you live in the County and get water from Albemarle County Service Authority? You maybe eligible for a Toilet Rebate as well (LINK).
Media Contact
Jill Greiner
Water Efficiency Program Coordinator
City of Charlottesville
434-970-3877
greinerj@charlottesville.gov