VICTORIA – The $1.6-million LiveSmart BC: Small Business program will be extended another year, until March 31, 2014 announced Rich Coleman, Minster of Energy, Mines and Natural Gas and Naomi Yamamoto, Minister of State for Small Business.
This successful program, launched in January 2011, will continue to help British Columbia small businesses save energy and money by making energy efficient improvements such as replacing incandescent bulbs with LED bulbs.
The program has served over 10,000 British Columbia businesses, helping them save 150 gigawatt-hours of electricity or enough to power 13,500 homes for one year. It has also saved over 1,620 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions, the equivalent of taking 306 vehicles off of the road.
Small businesses who are interested in making energy efficient improvements can contact a business energy advisor near them. There are currently 15 LiveSmart BC business energy advisors throughout the province, working out of organizations like local chambers of commerce. Energy advisors guide small business owners through the process of energy efficiency upgrades. They deliver free energy assessments to determine what upgrades are needed and help small business owners understand and find available product incentives and cash rebates. They also help co-ordinate energy efficient product installation.