Businesses have been saving themselves energy, in the greater Prince George region - seven figure savings.
Central Interior businesses have been taking part since 2011 in the provincial government's LiveSmart B.C. program for small companies. Small business owners can have a free energy consultant come in and audit their operations to find ways of saving heating, cooling, electricity and other energy costs. There are also some incentives through delivery companies like Fortis BC and BC Hydro to offset the cost of improving energy performance.
It was announced on Monday that the region's small businesses have, in the three years the program has existed, reached the point of 1 million kilowatt-hours in annual energy consumption.
Sorin Pasca, the area's business energy advisor, said, "1 million kWh annual savings between 70 businesses might not seem like very much. It's about $100,000 back in their pockets for this past year. But it's going to be another $100,000 next year and $100,000 again the year after and so on for many years to come."
According to recent research by the U.S. Energy Information Administration, 1 million kWh would be enough power to run about 130 average households for a year.
The Prince George Chamber of Commerce is the region's base of operations for the LiveSmart BC Small Business Program. Chamber CEO Christie Ray called the achievement "a considerable milestone in business energy savings" and added that the 1 million was generated by 70 businesses. Many more could take advantage of the program and help spare the provincial energy system even more.
She added that the local region has only three per cent of the province's businesses but amassed 13 per cent of the provincial program's energy savings.
"With colder climates and shorter daylight hours during winter months, small businesses in central and northern B.C. have considerable energy challenges compared to their more southern counterparts, and so have the potential to benefit significantly from improving their energy efficiency," Ray said.
Businesses in this region - Valemount to Bella Coola, 100 Mile House to Mackenzie - can receive a free energy assessment plus help accessing energy improvement incentives and connections to contractors involved in the work their location may require. Contact Pasca at 250-562-2454 or book online at www.pgchamber.bc.ca under the "Projects" tab.
