Would-be buyers of household appliances in many states will likely have to wait until spring to take advantage of the $300 million in federal rebates on energy-efficient appliances.

State plans for distributing rebates are due at the U.S. Department of Energy by Oct. 15, but constructing the actual programs and coordinating and testing them with retailers and manufacturers is expected to take months to complete after the Energy Department signs off on the states' plans.

The rebates, which were authorized in the U.S. economic stimulus legislation earlier this year, were originally anticipated to start flowing by the end of the year. But appliance industry experts say many states need more time to offset their lack of experience with consumer rebate programs.

"It's a new program, so it's going to take us a while to get it in place," said Shane Hix, a spokesman for the Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority, which is soliciting proposals from private companies to manage the distribution of Georgia's $9.3 million for rebates. Hix declined to speculate on when Georgia's rebate program would commence.

The appliance rebates have attracted widespread public attention in the wake of the popular "cash for clunkers" rebate program this summer to encourage sales of new cars.

Sales for appliance manufacturers Whirlpool Corp. (WHR), General Electric Co. (GE) and Electrolux AB (ELUXY) are down sharply as consumers pull back on discretionary purchases in response to the economic recession. The rebates, which are expected to range from $50 to $200 on individual appliances, are intended to lure consumers back to retail showrooms, as well as purge households of aging appliances that use more electricity than new models.

To reinforce the conservation theme, Florida intends to start its rebate program around Earth Day, April 22.

"That's perfect timing," said Jeremy Susac, director of the Florida Energy Office. "The retailers can leverage advertising showing responsible energy consumption and energy reduction."

Florida estimates its $17.5 million for rebates could account for the purchase of at least 65,000 household appliances during a rebate period expected to run for less than two weeks. To expedite the anticipated flood of rebate claims, Susac said, the state is looking at fulfillment companies to assist with the rebates.

Sparing consumers from bureaucratic red tape is a paramount consideration for program organizers.

"It's important to develop a program that minimizes the effort the consumer has to go through to get that rebate right away," said Seth Effron, a spokesman for the North Carolina Energy Office.

Effron said North Carolina is contemplating a two-phased rollout of its $8.8 million rebate program starting in late March or early April. The initial phase would cover dishwashers, clothes washers, refrigerators and other appliances. Later in spring rebates will be extended to water heaters, furnaces, central air conditioning systems and other large climate control systems.

The Energy Department has encouraged states to craft the programs to coincide with states' energy conservation priorities.

- By Bob Tita, Dow Jones Newswires; 312-750-4129; robert.tita@dowjones.com