Articles

SAVE A LOT WITH KILL-A-WATT

A New Con Ed/ PES program offers lighting upgrades and savings for New York – area businesses

June 2007

Preparing for a blackout or brownout may not be a day-to-day concern while dealing with the rigors of running a small business – but it should be. During a power interruption, minutes turn into hours and a business can wind up losing valuable time and money.

Public utilities are now providing opportunities for business owners and tenants who pay their own energy bills to decrease power consumption. By capitalizing on today’s latest technology, utility programs help business owners reduce their power consumption and simultaneously lower their energy bill by up to 60%.

Con Edison and Public Energy Solutions (PES) are helping New York and New Jersey-area businesses upgrade their electrical systems for little or no cost through a program called Operation Kill-A-Watt. (To find out about similar programs in Connecticut, visit www.uinet.com/clm/index.asp.) The initiative offers upgrades for lighting, HVAC and mechanical systems, as well as cash incentives for customers who reduce energy consumption. IN 2006, Operation Kill-a-Watt helped nearly 1,500 small and mid-size businesses reduce their monthly energy bills. This represents an annual energy savings of $4.5 million for those businesses.

As an added bonus, using less electricity reduces the need for fossil fuels, which contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. Contractors like PES will evaluate a building’s power consumption and install energy-efficient equipment (lighting upgrades for small businesses are often the easiest ways to curb electrical consumption). PES replaces old lighting systems at little or no cost to the business owner. Using CFLs (compact fluorescent lights) can provide up to 10,000 hours of light compared to 750 hours with incandescent bulbs and use 80% less energy, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. CFLs also decrease air conditioning bills during summer months as they omit less heat than incandescent bulbs. A typical office in New York City with 30 employees would save approximately $5,800 per year on their electric bill.

Utility programs are providing easy avenues for business owners to make the upgrades needed to conduct business in an energy-efficient and environmentally friendly manner. To find out more about energy efficient programs in your area, visit www.publicenergysolutions.com.