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Friday, October 23, 2015
Ministry of Energy
Ontario Helping Small Businesses Save Energy

Province Launches Energy Savings Guide to Help Reduce Costs

Ontario is implementing a new plan to help small businesses reduce energy use, manage costs and save money.

Today in Ottawa, Minister Chiarelli released Helping Small Businesses Save Energy, a guide on new Ontario programs and services that will help reduce costs for businesses. The plan will:

Promote the use of local energy managers, which help small business owners find savings and reduce the burden of paperwork.
Better market business conservation programs, which will ensure small business owners have access to the necessary information about government programs to help them save.
Enhance business conservation programs to ensure simplicity of application, increased benefits and rebates, and increased contractor engagement and training.
Work to make on-bill financing widely available, which helps small business owners finance the upfront costs of significant energy conservation projects.
Provide an additional six years of stable funding for conser¬vation programs.

Helping small and medium sized businesses succeed and thrive is part of the government’s plan to build Ontario up. The plan includes investing in people's talents and skills, making the largest investment in public infrastructure in Ontario's history, creating a dynamic, innovative environment where business thrives and building a secure retirement savings plan.

Quick Facts:

Ontario’s almost 400,000 small and medium-sized businesses make up over 99% of businesses in the province.
The saveONenergy for Business electricity conservation program, made available through electric utilities with the support of the Independent Electricity System Operator, helps small businesses with the costs of installing energy-efficient equipment and improving the energy efficiency of their buildings.
From 2011 to 2014, more than 81,000 projects were completed by Ontario small businesses who participated in the saveONenergy Small Business Lighting program, saving over 600 GWh.
Ontario’s two largest natural gas utilities, Union Gas and Enbridge Gas Distribution, offer their small business customers financial incentives and services to improve energy efficiency of their buildings and make the most of the energy they consume.
Ontario’s Conservation First Framework is expected to achieve 7 TWh of savings and help the province meet its long-term conservation target of 30 TWh in 2032.

Additional Resources:

Quotes:

"Local entrepreneurs support healthy communities and a strong economy as they grow their businesses. This new plan to help small businesses save will support owners in managing energy use and reducing costs, while helping our province reach electricity conservation goals."

— Bob Chiarelli, Minister of Energy

Media Contact:

Jordan Owens
Minister’s Office
416-325-2690
jordan.owens@ontario.ca

Lynn Wong
Communications Branch
416-326-4542
lynn.wong@ontario.ca