BUSINESS
Get your small business energy saving application in !
Small and medium businesses in the Blue Mountains and Hawkesbury are being urged to apply for the second round of energy efficiency grants being offered by the Federal Government .
Federal Member for Macquarie , Susan Templeman , said the federal government is delivering a $ 41 million second round of Energy Efficiency Grants ( EEG ) for Small and Medium Enterprises ( SMEs ) to improve energy efficiency , save on energy bills and lower emissions .
“ These grants provide $ 10,000 and $ 25,000 to small and medium businesses to upgrade to more energy efficient equipment .
“ This includes replacing air conditioners with high efficiency units or gas heating boilers with heat pumps , helping SMEs lower power bills and emissions .”
Ms Templeman said the first round of grants allowed local businesses to make simple changes to improve their efficiency . Closeburn House Boutique
Guesthouse in Mount Victoria received a $ 15,000 grant in the first round .
“ The first winter was cold ,” Paul Worboys , owner of Closeburn House , said . “ We would run the heating and everything would be warm , but as soon as we turned it off , the heat dissipated fast .”
Mr Worboys said they discovered that a lack of ceiling insulation was contributing to higher heating costs .
“ When we saw the opportunity to apply for a grant through the Federal Government to assist in energy efficient upgrades , we jumped at the chance . Being awarded funding to assist insulating our very large property , as well as install thermal-backed window coverings , means we are now ready for the winter season ahead .
“ Our guests will not only enjoy a much cosier stay this winter , we ’ ll also enjoy a lower energy bill and will emit less greenhouse gases - win , win , win ”. Ms Templeman says Closeburn House is
a great example of how these grants can assist SMEs .
“ A simple change like this can make a big difference , keeping heat in during those cold Mount Victoria winters can help reduce the amount of energy the business is using .”
There is a high expectation that there may be a high level of interest for this grant opportunity , and it may be oversubscribed . This is a demand driven grant opportunity . Grants will be awarded to eligible applicants on a first come , first served basis until the funding is exhausted in each jurisdiction , applications opened for NSW businesses on Monday , 26 February . Who is this for ? This grant opportunity is for small and medium sized businesses with an employee headcount of 1 to 199 employees . Overview The Energy Efficiency Grants for Small and Medium Sized Enterprises Round 2 will support businesses to upgrade or replace inefficient equipment to improve their energy efficiency . These upgrades will enable industries to reduce their energy use , manage energy cost volatility in the long term and contribute to Australia ’ s target of a 43 % reduction on 2005 emission levels by 2030 .
Closeburn House Boutique Guesthouse in Mount Victoria
The objectives of the program are : Improve energy efficiency practices and increase the uptake of energy efficient technologies assist small and medium businesses to manage their energy usage and costs reduce greenhouse gas emissions .
The intended outcomes of the program are :
To increase awareness of energy efficiency opportunities and help businesses to save energy reduced power bills for small and medium businesses emissions abatement to contribute to Australia reducing its emissions to 43 % below 2005 levels by 2030 .
For more information about the Energy Efficiency Grants for SMEs program and how to apply , visit : https :// business . gov . au / grants-and-programs / energy-efficiency-grants-for-small-andmedium-enterprises-round-2
32 ISSUE 166 // MARCH 2024 theindependentmagazine . com . au THE HAWKESBURY INDEPENDENT