If you own or manage a company and are looking for ways to make it more environmentally friendly, check out these easy steps you can take!
1. Get a free energy audit from the National Grid Small Business Program. For business customers with an average demand use of 300 kilowatts or less per month, they can help you reduce your company’s energy costs by installing energy efficient equipment.
- They provide a free energy audit and report of recommended energy efficiency improvements.
- They pay 70% of the cost of the installation of energy-efficient equipment and you can finance the remaining 30% interest-free for up to 24 months.
- Cost-cutting, energy-efficient equipment available through this program include:
- Lighting Upgrades
- Energy Efficient Time Clocks
- Photo Cells For Outdoor Lighting
- Occupancy Sensors
- Programmable Thermostats
- Walk-in Cooler Measures
To find out more, visit their Small Business Program website, or call them at 1-800-332-3333.
2. Upgrade Lighting. Compact Fluorescent Light (CFL) bulbs are up to four times more efficient than standard incandescent bulbs, but contain trace amounts of mercury. Light Emitting Diode (LED) bulbs are even more efficient, last longer, and contain no mercury. LED bulbs are 90% more efficient than incandescent bulbs and 80% more efficient than CFLs. By upgrading to LED lighting, businesses can significantly reduce energy consumption and lower their electric bills.
3. Buy EnergyStar Appliances. Appliances that have qualified for the U.S. EPA EnergyStar label use 10-50% less energy than conventional models. Households with EnergyStar appliances save an average of $80 per year in electricity costs. Saving energy helps the environment too. If just one in ten U.S. households switched to EnergyStar appliances, it would have the same reduction in carbon dioxide as planting 1.7 million acres of new forest.
4. Sign up for GreenStart. New England GreenStart™ lets you buy local renewable energy through your electricity provider, National Grid, for a small monthly surcharge on your existing bill.
For more tips on saving energy, check out Easy & Quick Energy Saving Tricks. For more information, visit the U.S. Department of Energy’s Guide to Energy Efficiency.