Customers who install a solar water heater can now receive $1,000 in rebates from Hawaiian Electric Co.

HECO said it raised the popular rebate by $250 after receiving approval from the state Public Utilities Commission.

The higher rebate applies to installation contracts signed on Feb. 13 or later, the company said. The rebate is available to residential customers who have qualifying systems installed by a HECO-approved contractor.

The rebate, combined with a 30 percent federal tax credit and a 35 percent Hawai'i state tax credit, can bring the cost of a typical solar water heating system down to about $1,500, said Paul Brencick, HECO's residential program manager. The regular cost of a solar water heating system can run $5,000 or more, he said.

"But even more important, the long-term savings on your electricity bill amounts to annual savings of nearly $500 for a typical family of four, which means the system essentially pays for itself in about three years," Brencick said.

Since the 1996 launch of the solar water heating program, HECO said it has installed more than 30,000 systems on O'ahu, making the program one of the largest and most successful in the country.

For more information, visit www.heco.com and click on "residential."