2016
ComEd Small Business Energy Savings (SBES) was developed to help promote energy efficiency to small business owners. The program has dramatically increased the number of small business customers saving energy, lowering operating costs, increasing profitability and improving businesses since the launch in July 2011. Since its inception, ComEd SBES has achieved an unprecedented 400 GWh in savings and helped over 20,500 customers in the ComEd territory, with participants ranging from convenience stores and dry cleaners to auto shops and strip malls.
SBES began with less than 10% participation from small business customers in the already existing, broader, energy efficiency program—ComEd Smart Ideas® Energy Efficiency Program. This market is historically underserved due to challenges unique to small business owners, which can include lack of access to capital, insufficient time to investigate energy efficiency improvements and leased rather than owner-occupied facilities. The offer was designed to help overcome these traditional constraints by making it easier to participate, providing education on energy usage and retrofit options, and offering enough incentives to move forward with the most cost-effective energy efficiency improvement projects.