Naperville Offers Rebate Checks To Residents For Electric Lawn Mowers

NAPERVILLE, IL — As Naperville city officials work to operate the community on a more sustainable model, local residents can benefit from using environmentally friendly lawn equipment as part of a new pilot program being offered.

The city announced on Tuesday that is offering a $50 rebate to residents who purchase a new electric lawn mower, leaf blower, trimmer, edger, or manually powered reel lawn mower. The rebate is being offered in an effort to entice local residents to use lawn equipment that is cleaner and quieter than gas-powered models, officials said.

The rebate is available to residents within incorporated Naperville city limits who purchase a qualifying piece of lawn equipment after July 15 and provide the purchase receipt along with a completed application form.

Qualifying equipment must be new, zero-emission, and specified for residential use, officials said. Participants can receive one rebate per household per calendar year. Rebates will be handed out on a first-come, first-served basis as long as funds remain for the pilot program.

The pilot program is part of Naperville’s sustainability work plan that was approved by the city council in Aug. 2021. The workplace is a collaborative effort between Naperville city staff and the Naperville Environment and Sustainability Task Force and was established to organize and guide the city’s work toward a more sustainable and resilient Naperville, officials said.

This new rebate program is just one element of the City's sustainability work, which includes several avenues to help protect the environment and preserve our natural resources, according to Ben Mjolsness, the city's sustainability coordinator.

Other initiatives the city is currently involved in include:

• City staff has engaged with several groups, such as the Naperville Environment and Sustainability Task Force, our residents, and city employees who are part of our cross-departmental Sustainability Team, to explore which sustainability metrics may be most meaningful to track and report.
• Naperville's City Council approved a second sustainability position to be hired in mid-2022 to help the city continue to advance its sustainability efforts.
• The city revised certain permit applications to better capture waste and recycling data from special events and commercial waste services.
• City staff is working to develop and implement a Sustainable Procurement Policy to guide City employees in making environmentally friendly choices when purchasing goods and services.
• Staff is working with community partners, including NEST, North Central College, and the City's Transportation Advisory Board, on studies to assess walkability and bikeability in Naperville.
• Members of the City’s Emerging Leaders Program are taking the lead in the creation of a comprehensive outreach and engagement program. Over the coming year, they will identify creative ways for the City to inform residents, students, and businesses of our sustainability efforts and educate them on how they can contribute to a more sustainable Naperville.
• The City is determining the cost and scope of conducting a comprehensive greenhouse gas emissions inventory in 2023.
• The City is exploring opportunities to increase native landscaping and determine optimal sites for more solar installations in Naperville.

Officials said that electric lawn equipment doesn’t require oil or gas and doesn’t cause harmful air pollution in local neighborhoods. Switching to electric mowers, blowers, trimmers, and edgers can help prevent spilled oil and gas from seeping into groundwater, polluting rivers and streams, or damaging lawns and paved surfaces, city sustainability officials said.

For details and a link to the application, residents can visit the city’s sustainability program website.