New York’s Great Appliance Swap Out is continuing beyond its original expiration date.

Though the program had been scheduled to end last Sunday, the bulk of its original $16 million in funds still remained on the last day of the promotion.

“I’m extremely surprised the money has lasted as long as it has. We expected it to go much quicker,” said Dean Rallo, president of Rosa’s. “We really don’t have a great handle on why it didn’t.”

Rallo said sales have been up since the promotion started, and he wonders if Western New York appliance dealers saw a bigger response than stores elsewhere.

Places with large populations, such as New York City and Long Island, were expected to wipe out much of the funding. The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority does not provide a geographic breakdown of where money was allocated.

“We’re surprised,” said Marty Gregoire, customer relations manager at Orville’s. “The initial day was very fast-paced into the [first] weekend. We saw it slow down, but this past weekend we had a big upturn again.”

By Tuesday, roughly $8.9 million was left in the rebate fund, and the agency had extended the purchase deadline indefinitely, until “the date available funding runs out.”

“We’re extending the program because we’ve heard from both retailers and consumers that a significant demand remains, and we’re pleased to be able to continue providing funds to help meet that demand,” said Colleen Q. Ryan, an agency spokeswoman.

Citing the 58,000 New Yorkers who “have taken steps to switch to appliances that will save them money and reduce our impact on the environment,” Ryan called the program a “success.”

Gregoire said sales at Orville’s have been “better than average” each day, especially during the first four days of the promotion.

“We’re happy it’s being extended. If there’s money out there we want people to have the opportunity to get in on it,” said Gregoire.

Rallo hopes the program’s extension will continue to translate into higher sales at Rosa’s. If anything, the extension has allowed the company to replenish its inventory of the qualifying appliance models.

“If the program had ended, we wouldn’t have been able to replace them,” said Rallo. “We made another buy, and truckloads of the qualifying inventory are on their way back in.”

At

www.NYApplianceSwapOut.com

, a box on the right side of the screen counts down the amount of available funds left in the program’s coffers. The agency is urging consumers to keep a close eye on that ticker box to be sure their rebate applications are submitted before funds run out. “The meter is a trustworthy tool that consumers can use to see, in real time, the amount of funding remaining before they purchase an appliance,” said Ryan.

Once they purchase an appliance, consumers should submit an application as soon as possible, either online or through the agency’s hotline at (877) NY-SMART. The new deadline for postmarking supplemental documentation is April 30. If the money lasts beyond the end of April, that deadline will be extended.

Referred to as an appliance version of Cash for Clunkers, the Great Appliance Swap Out uses federal stimulus money to give rebates to consumers buying eligible Energy Star appliances. The rebate amounts rise when consumers prove they have recycled their old appliances.

Those buying qualifying Energy Star appliances can apply for a rebate of $75 on refrigerators ($105 if recycled), $50 on freezers ($75 if recycled) and $75 on washing machines ($100 if recycled). Dishwashers are eligible as part of a refrigerator, clothes washer and dishwasher package, with a total rebate of $500 (or $550 if recycled). Clothes dryers aren’t eligible, as none are Energy Star-certified.