Small Businesses See Big Savings With NB Power’s Efficiency Program
Daphne Porter, co-owner of Courtesy Convenience in Miramichi, says the margins are thin in the gas and grocery business so you need to find savings where you can.
“It’s a gas station and there’s no money to be made off of gas, so you pick up a little bit on the grocery side. Any savings is good for a convenience store these days because there’s not much profit in a convenience store, so anywhere you can save, you save.”
Porter identified potential savings through NB Power’s Small Business Lighting Program. She says the lighting in the store and at the gas pumps was old and very dim. After renovations to install new lights, the entire business is much brighter and they are saving more than $200 a month.
NB Power wants to help small businesses like Porter’s become more energy efficient and save money at the same time with its new program launched last September.
“The small business lighting program [is] based on an identified need to serve a market that’s currently being underserved,” says Scott Garinther, program lead for industrial and commercial sectors at NB Power.
“The small businesses in New Brunswick were asking for assistance in identifying opportunities within their facility, one of which is specifically lighting and lighting controls.”
The Small Business Lighting Program matches participants with an approved lighting service provider to conduct an audit, which looks at the businesses current lighting system and energy uses then provides recommendations for new light solutions and controls.
The business only needs to implement changes that fit its budget and NB Power will provide $0.17 for every kilowatt hour saved – up to a maximum of $7,500 in total.
Garinther says the program is about more than just getting businesses to use different light bulbs, it’s about helping participants change their overall usage.
“We’re relying on these service providers to identify what quality and quantity of light they need for the specific space type for example, is it an office, retail, restaurant, etc, and also how to better control the lighting because we don’t want the small business to turn on the lights and leave them on all day if the lighting is not needed,” he says.
“So if you’re in a warehouse and you have a space that’s not being used, that area should not be lit up. We’d look to have motion sensors put in, so that when somebody walks into the space or drives in with a forklift, the lights automatically come on.”
The program also aims to relieve the administrative stress that often comes along with making these kinds of changes.
“We designed the program so that the service providers are the ones taking the participants through the program,” says Garinther. “For small businesses, their main focus is their day-to-day operations. Having the service providers complete their application for the project on their behalf, who can then, in turn, submit the statement for work and the request for payments, et cetera, on the business’ behalf, really removes that administrative burden from the participant.”
In order to participate in the program, the business must be an NB Power General Service I or II customer or a commercial entity as categorized by Saint John Energy, Edmundston Energy, or Perth-Andover Light Commission, with an account in good standing.
The building electricity consumption must be less than 100 MWh per year and the building must be at least two years old. The business must own, manage or lease the building.
Since the program launched last fall, more than 200 businesses have applied for the program.
Porter says many small business owners are hesitant to make such renovations because money needs to be spent before you see any payback. But she says you see results quickly with this program.
“People are crazy not to take advantage,” says Porter. “If an energy provider is going to help you out, people have to take advantage of it.
“It seems like a big payout when you first start, but as soon as the job is done you get your money back very fast. It’s not like it’s a long-term investment. It’s definitely good. I recommend it.”