(L-R Craig Mooney, before and after installation | Photos courtesy of GEL Energy Solutions)
Most businesses in Central Oregon are being robbed of their profits every month without even knowing it. I’m talking hundreds if not thousands of dollars every month.
This hidden money-drainer illusively steals your time and productivity. Although hidden, it’s staring at you every day, watching your every move, waiting for the right time to strike. Right when your plate is full, when you have no time to deal with nonsense, and when the finance department shows you have no budgeting left.
This isn’t a scary campfire story or a glorified Halloween riddle; this is real life for most Central Oregon businesses, where 70 percent of their energy bill is being wasted.
Thrown away.
Stolen.
All because of one thing.
We’re talking about your lights. The new “cash guzzler” bamboozling your business.
My name is Craig Mooney, fluorescent light’s worst nightmare and your accountant’s best friend. I feel like I’ve been a Debbie Downer so far, but there is good news! There are Oregon programs that help our local businesses save up to 70 percent on their energy bills, decrease their carbon footprint and improve their operating expenses at no cost with huge rebates and incentives.
COST OF OPERATION
Your business probably still uses fluorescent lights. Because LED lights are super expensively unaffordable, right? Well, not really — we’ll get to that in a bit (myth buster alert).
Here’s the important question: How much money are you wasting and how much energy is being sucked out of your building?
Fluorescent lights use over three times the amount of energy as LEDs while LEDs last up to 25 times longer. That’s why your annual energy bill is higher than Mt. Bachelor’s elevation, your lights are as inconsistent and stubborn as Bend’s weather in spring and you find yourself fixing lights as often as your least- favorite local commercial is aired.
To save you from the Google search, Mt. Bachelor’s elevation is 9,068’… if that’s your annual bill (in dollars of course), you could turn that into $2,900 or lower. That’s lower than Bend’s elevation!
What would you do with an extra $6,000 each year? New truck? Family pass to Bachelor? Vacation to Cabo? Remodel your kitchen??
Impact on your business and environment
The energy being used by your fluorescent lights are stealing your hard-earned money, but they’re also leaving quite the carbon footprint. In the second half of 2019 alone our customers at GEL Energy Solutions have eliminated 1,180,129 annual kWh of energy for their Central Oregon businesses without paying a dime for their new lights.
Well that’s an impressively large number… but what does it mean, Craig? I was prepared for this question, so glad you asked. This means our customers have contributed to saving the equivalent of greenhouse gas emissions from:
- 1,839,822 lbs of Co2 (832 metric tons)
- 13,799 trees planted
- 982 acres of U.S. forest production
- 106,412,779 smartphones charged
- 2,040,414 miles driven by average passenger vehicle
- 93,905 gallons of gasoline consumed
- 912,329 lbs of coal burned
And financially…
- $121,889 annual energy savings
- $132,356 rebates/incentives received
- average energy reduction 67 percent
These numbers are just how much our customers have saved from when the lights are on. However, there are many more hidden fees to your current lights.
COST OF MAINTENANCE
It can cost you up to $1,000 just to change out one light fixture. If you’re changing out a high bay with a bad ballast, you’ll need to hire an electrician, purchase the light and rent a lift. This will cost at least $750 for one… single… light. If an electrician isn’t doing it, you’re wasting your valuable time or paying your employee to do something that shouldn’t be an issue in the first place.
Central Oregon businesses we’ve worked with in 2019 will save $202,148 in total annual operating costs.
How frequently are you changing your lightbulbs?
With a 1,000-hour lifespan, incandescent bulbs, when left on for 24 hours a day, require bulb changes every six weeks. That’s eight times a year! CFLs require bulb changes every six to seven months.
In comparison, LEDs have a lifespan of up to 50,000 hours, which is five years or more for lights left on 24 hours a day and 17 years for lights left on eight hours a day.
The numbers are even more extreme for troffers, strips and high bays.
Lighting issues are the last thing you want to think about when you’re busy managing your business. That’s why Energy Trust of Oregon and state utilities like Pacific Power have stepped in to make LED upgrades more affordable. Let’s see how it all works!
HOW YOU CAN PUT MONEY BACK IN YOUR WALLET
Here’s where you can make an impact on your business, our community and the environment. Remember when it used to cost a fortune to even think about changing one bulb to LED? Well, it’s now more affordable than ever. When I mean affordable, I mean free… to the point where you don’t have to spend any money on it. Ever. Get the idea? Awesome, here’s how:
ETO provides huge cash incentives for businesses like yours to upgrade to energy-efficient alternatives or upgrades. Upgrading to lights is one of those things. Call or email Kandis — she’ll help explain.
- Talk with Your Electrician
Ask your local Central Oregon electrician what they think about upgrading to LED lights. We work with many reputable electricians in the area who will give you an honest answer.
- Schedule a Free Lighting Audit with GEL Energy Solutions
We are an Energy Trust of Oregon certified trade ally, helping you update your lights at no cost, so you don’t have to spend a dime or time even thinking about your lights.
You can use GEL Energy Solutions for the free audit, free expert lighting design, installation, five-year warranty and ROI (includes rebates/incentives and positive monthly cash flow).
If you’re even remotely interested in knowing how much your lights could be costing you, you’ll find out with a free lighting audit. Reach out to ETO, your trusted electrician or me today so you can karate kick this cash guzzler to the curb, save up to 70 percent on your energy bill and never worry about your lights again.
gelenergysolutions.com • craig@gelenergysolutions.com • 541-668-7446
