As part of the government's economic stimulus package, the government has launched an Eco-points plan to encourage purchases of energy-efficient home electronics.

★About the System
1) Eco-points are worth 1Yen each and are given to consumers who purchase certain household appliances that meet the government’s energy-efficiency criteria. A gadget’s energy-efficiency is ranked on a scale of one to five stars (this is shown on the product label). Eco-points can be gained only by purchasing gadgets with four or more stars - these items are labeled with a “エコポイント対象商品” sticker (see right).

2) In addition to energy-efficient refrigerators and air conditioners, purchases of terrestrial-digital television sets are also subsidized.

3) Consumers receive eco-points worth 5 percent of the price of the air conditioners and refrigerators and about 10 percent of those of the televisions, some of which are worth as much as 36,000 points. More points can be gained for a small fee by handing over old products for recycling and upgrading to a new appliance.

★How to Apply
The goods must have been bought between May 15, 2009 and March 31, 2010. Applications will be accepted until late April 2010, and points will be valid for exchange until the end of March 2012.

To get the eco-points, applicants must fill out an application form and send it together with their receipts (領収書・レシート), a photocopy of the product warranty 保証書, and (if applicable) the recycle receipt (家電リサイクル券の排出者控え) to the secretariat of the subsidiary program. The forms are available from electronics stores and post offices; they can also be filled out online but must be printed before sending by regular mail.

★Points make Prizes!
Over 270 items were available as of July 1. Other seasonal items will be added at a later date.
Items include store coupons, beer and food coupons, and prepaid cards for public transportation, travel coupons, and a range of environmentally-friendly products.

A full list of products and services is available on the government's eco-point website. Catalogues of the items will also be available at post offices nationwide.