Small Business Energy Advantage
Analyze and Reduce Energy Usage by Upgrading to Energy-efficient Equipment.
In light of the COVID-19 outbreak and recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and the State of Connecticut, we are temporarily suspending energy efficiency program activities that require an in-person visit to your home or business. However, a virtual pre-assessment to the Small Business Energy Advantage is now being offered as a safe, convenient first step for you to make energy-saving improvements. This pre-assessment is available through live, virtual discussions with a technician at no cost. Connect with us to learn more about how we can help you reduce your energy costs.
For questions regarding this program suspension, please call 877-WISE-USE (877.947.3873). As updates occur, they will be posted on our Pandemic Update page.
Thank you for your interest in our programs. We look forward to resuming programs as soon as safely possible.
A Virtual Pre-Assessment for Small Businesses is now being offered as a safe, convenient first step for you to make energy-saving improvements. This pre-assessment is available through live, virtual discussions with a contractor at no cost. Connect with us to learn more about how we can help you reduce your energy costs.
During the virtual pre-assessment, your contractor will identify energy-saving opportunities in your business and then prepare a potential list of energy saving opportunities which includes simple, self-install measures such as LED light bulbs to replace old incandescent, or faucet aerators to help save money on your water heating cost.
The contractor will work with us to have the identified self-install measures shipped to your business for you to start saving energy and money right away. See the complete list of areas assessed with the Small Business Energy Advantage program below. Your contractor will schedule a follow-up, in-person visit for a future date to further identify deeper savings opportunities to be installed.
Call 877-WISE-USE for more information.
With a no-cost virtual pre-assessment you may receive:
- A virtual visit with a utility partnered contractor to identify opportunities to reduce your energy consumption.
- A follow up Small Business Energy Advantage site visit at no cost.
- Energy-saving products delivered to you at no cost.
- Generous rebates and incentives on qualifying energy-efficient heating, cooling, and water heating equipment.
- Attractive financing opportunities for eligible upgrades.
A utility-authorized contractor performs a no-cost, no-obligation energy assessment (audit) of your facility and then manages the installation of the energy-saving improvements. This one-stop service, combined with our incentives and zero-interest, on-bill payment plans, allows you to get started right away.
If you’re like many small commercial and industrial customers, you do not have the time, financial resources or in-house expertise necessary to analyze and reduce your energy usage. We can help. Our utility-authorized contractors will come to your business and perform a no-cost, no-obligation audit of your facility that includes lighting, HVAC and refrigeration systems. You’ll receive a customized recommendation that shows you how much energy and money you could save by upgrading to energy-efficient equipment. The contractor manages the whole installation process for you. And with our incentives and low-interest on-bill payment plans, you won’t have to worry about cash flow. It couldn’t be easier to save money. Just pick up the phone and call. That’s all you need to do.
Features:
- Free energy assessment
- Comprehensive proposal includes all eligible energy efficiency measures, complete with material and installation costs and estimated savings
- You decide what improvements make sense for you; there’s no obligation to install
- No upfront costs for installed upgrades
- Incentives up to 50 percent of the installed cost
- Zero-interest and low-cost financing * (payable on your monthly electric bill, so you only have one monthly payment)
- One-year warranty on contractors’ parts and labor
*Must qualify for financing. Zero-interest financing available to qualified customers.
How it Works
Steps to Take Smart Energy Action
Step 1 - Schedule your no obligation energy assessment with a Small Business Energy Advantage (SBEA) program-authorized contractor. These licensed professionals have been selected by your utility, work throughout the state and are fully trained in how the program works.
Getting started is easy. Call our toll-free number, contact a program-authorized contractor, or contact your utility provider:
- Call 877.WISE.USE (877.947.3873); or
- Visit EnergizeCT.com to locate a SBEA program-authorized contractor.
Step 2 - Once your utility determines that you are eligible for the program, the SBEA-authorized contractor calls you to schedule a visit.
Step 3 - During the visit, the contractor conducts an energy assessment of your facility free of charge. Your utility reviews the assessment and, if approved, the contractor presents you with a proposal. The comprehensive proposal includes energy-saving improvements that make sense for your business, complete installation costs and estimated energy savings, along with the incentives that you qualify for and your financing options.
Step 4 - After the paperwork is signed, your project can get started - in some cases within 30 days. SBEA program incentives offset a portion of the cost of qualifying measures.
Step 5 - Interest-free financing for the balance of the project is available for qualified customers. The financed amount will appear on your monthly electric bill, allowing you to make just one monthly payment for both your SBEA loan and your electric bill.
Financial incentives help get your project completed the right way, the first time. The energy-saving benefits will continue, year after year.
Examples of typical energy-efficient upgrades include:
Lighting – interior/exterior
- High-performance lighting
- Induction and LED lighting
- Occupancy sensors
- Photocells
Heating/ventilation/air conditioning
- Energy-efficient equipment upgrades
- Programmable thermostats
- Energy management systems
Refrigeration
- Anti-condensation door heater controls
- Evaporator fan controls
- Night covers
- Electronically commutated motors
- Energy-efficient kitchen equipment
Natural gas-saving equipment
- Spray nozzles
- Showerheads
- Aerators
- Programmable thermostats
- Pipe and duct insulation
- Energy management systems
- Indoor boiler reset controls
- Heating equipment
- Water heating equipment
- Kitchen equipment
- Infrared space heaters
- Envelope measures
Other improvements
- Air compressors
- Variable frequency drives
- Premium-efficiency motors
- Custom measures
Who is Eligible
Commercial and industrial UI customers with an average 12-month peak demand between 10 and 200kW. For natural gas measures, must be a firm customer of SCG or CNG.
Many types of small businesses can benefit:
- Restaurants
- Car washes
- Churches/synagogues/meeting centers
- Bed and breakfasts
- Private buildings: libraries, museums and more
- Retail stores
- Office settings: insurance and real estate brokers, law offices, accounting firms, etc.
- Grocery and convenience stores
- Gas stations
Call 877.WISE.USE (877.947.3873) for more information.