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There are a variety of ways you can reduce costs in your business when it comes to energy. By assessing the needs of your employees and your customers, you’ll be able to make a plan that helps you cut costs where you need it the most.

1.    Don’t heat what you don’t use. This may seem obvious but it’s easy to oversee. Only heat the rooms and areas of the building which are in use every day. Rooms with low usage should have their heating turned down or off until they are in use. You can also keep temperatures low in hallways as they are not used for more than a couple of minutes at a time.
2.    Motivate and involve staff. Encourage employees to take part in brainstorming sessions. Employees can be delegated responsibility to offer their own innovative ideas to cut down on energy costs. Having an open dialogue about the things that could be changed about energy usage in your business is very important. This will allow you to create efficient work culture in your company.
3.    Schedule an energy audit for your facility. SDG&E offers free energy assessments to help ensure you are using energy efficiently. Learn more at sdge.com/BES to find out if areas can be identified to trim down your energy needs.
4.    Look out for small drafts that may leak air. Small drafts can result in businesses losing sometimes substantial portions of their heating and cooling costs. Proper air sealing of the work environment can eliminate those drafts.
5.    Keep control of your heating. Keeping your office temperature one degree down during winters can reduce the power it uses by up to 10%. Consider purchasing a smart thermostat, too.

By considering these steps, you could see changes in your energy bill. People often underestimate the little things they do at work, so promoting awareness about energy issues is very important. Not only will you be lowering your energy bill, you’ll also be promoting a healthy environment within your own workplace. For more ideas on how to save energy in your business, visit sdge.com/business.
 

A portable electric generator or small permanent standby generator can help keep your essential equipment running during a power outage. Before you run a generator for the first time, however, state law requires you to notify SDG&E. For safety tips and a video on choosing and using a generator, visit sdge.com/chooseagenerator.

Your energy costs are based on how much electricity you use and when you use it. To better reflect energy use patterns and the impact on the electric grid, the California Public Utilities Commission recently approved these changes, effective December 1, 2017.

Seasonal periods
Energy use aligns with two seasonal periods and the winter season now includes the month of May.
Winter: November 1 to May 31 (previously November 1 to April 30)
Summer: June 1 to October 31 (previously May 1 to October 31)

Time of use periods
The year-round On-peak period, when electricity is needed the most and you pay the highest price, is 4 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Shifting energy use to Off-peak or Super off-peak hours can help you save energy and money. Review your pricing plan at sdge.com/myaccount to understand how these changes might impact your business.
You’ll receive more information about these changes in the next few weeks. In the meantime, if you have any questions, please call our Business Services team at 1.800.336.7343 or visit sdge.com/TOUplans.

Contact Carolyn Howard for more information on advertising in PassPort San Diego! The deadline for the next issue is December 15, 2017.

Carolyn Howard
Vice President
PassPort to San Diego, Inc.
619-251-4530 (Direct)
619-465-7550 (FAX)
www.PassPortToSanDiego.com

There is a CA Competes Tax Credit Presentation on Friday December 8th, 2017, from 9:00-10:00 at SD City Council Chambers.
From Jan 2-22, 2018, interested business owners can submit grant applications for these credits. $100M in credits will be available and 25% must go directly to small businesses. This is a competitive application process. Below is a flyer for the Dec. 8th Presentation and a flyer that outlines the criteria used in evaluating applications.

From Apple Pay's representatives:

Hello Ocean Beach Merchant,

Apple Pay is hosting a neighborhood “Lose Your Wallet” campaign in Ocean Beach to promote participating local businesses in the area on Dec. 16 & 17th from around 10-6pm and we'd like you to participate!

Apple will promote the event via social, digital media, and radio to drive more traffic to the neighborhood and encourage people to shop locally. Apple Pay representatives will also be able to help you assess your capability to accept Apple Pay and get setup for the event. Additionally, there will be an event footprint at the Cafe Bella parking lot with activities such as custom tote bag silkscreening, caricature artists, leather stamping, each for $1 with Apple Pay.

As part of the campaign, Apple Pay will work with merchants to determine an offer for the weekend to drive purchase and will provide custom signage. Merchants are encouraged to promote on their social media page.

Our local representatives may have visited you already or contacted you via phone. We would love to share additional details regarding the program if you're interested.

Please email John Anderson at [email protected] or call 212-242-2417 to learn more.

We look forward to talking soon!

Best,
John

From their recent event in Austin, Texas:

The Small Business Consulting Program at San Diego State University pairs astute students with small businesses in the San Diego area. As a client, you meet your student team, led by a graduate assistant, and design the project plans to meet the scope of the project. This 16 week experience will give you the opportunity, to discover and apply, important primary and secondary market research, utilizing the 100+ hours of student enterprise, concluding in recommendations and an action plan.  Not to mention the lasting positive impact made in students’ lives and your company. If the program interests you, please visit our website for more information. The deadline to apply is Monday, January 8th, 2018. APPLY HERE

Discover how to distill your message down to a 15-second elevator pitch that is both repeatable and memorable. Learning to Sell Energy- Efficiency Effectively (see link to class below) is a must class for any professional in the energy industry interested in getting insights, focus and skills to maximize their closing ratio. Will be held on Friday, November 3rd from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM.  Or check out SDG&E’s Fundamentals for Effective Business Energy Management (see link to class below) class on Tuesday, November 7, from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
Whether you’re a trade professional, business owner or homeowner, you can gain basic and advanced skills in green building practices. Specialized energy efficiency and sustainability courses are a great way for businesses to competitively get ahead. Keep current on the latest technologies that can help your business save energy and money. Check out our classes at seminars.sdge.com.
To learn more about SDG&E’s Energy Innovation Center’s self-guided sustainability tours, tool lending library and classes visit sdge.com/eic.

Did you know that up to 80 percent of the energy used by business cafeterias and kitchens is wasted by inefficient equipment? SDG&E offers rebates on new foodservice equipment such as ice machines, convection ovens and ventilation controls. And for a limited time – these rebate amounts have increased!

For a complete list of eligible foodservice rebates, visit SDG&E’s Foodservice page.

Great reasons to invest in energy-efficient kitchen equipment:
o Higher production capacities and additional features such as programmable timers
o Savings on energy and operating costs can outweigh the purchase price
o Inefficient appliances emit more heat – resulting in a hotter kitchen
o SDG&E offers financing with 0% interest to help you replace worn-out equipment

Act now before your equipment goes on the fritz! Increased rebate amount run through to December 8, 2017. Learn more at sdge.com/foodservice.

A disaster such as a fire or earthquake can disrupt your business without warning, sometimes at great cost. Being prepared can help you restore operations faster and limit your losses.
You’ll find the basics outlined in our four-minute video, “Emergency Preparedness for Businesses,” at sdge.com/business/emergency. Steps you should take include: developing a written plan; training staff; practicing emergency procedures; stocking emergency supplies; maintaining defensible space; backing up and storing information securely off site; and periodically testing equipment, such as electric generators and smoke detectors.
Visit ready.gov/business for tools you can use to develop or improve a disaster preparedness program for your business. You’ll find an automated disaster recovery plan tool in the business continuity planning software, and a series of business continuity training videos.