The COVID-19 pandemic has been a challenging time for area small businesses, and Kitchener-Wilmot Hydro Inc. and Waterloo North Hydro want to help. The two electrical utilities are offering support to local business owners through a program that can help increase their energy savings by improving their refrigeration equipment.

The Refrigeration Efficiency Program (REP) offers small business owners with commercial grade refrigeration equipment a free assessment of their system and up to $2,500 in incentives towards energy efficient upgrades. Through REP, small business owners can replace inefficient motors, reduce and control cold air loss, and have dust and debris cleaned from key components.

There are many benefits to improving your business’s refrigeration equipment, including:

• Saving approximately $100 per month in energy costs.
• Reducing refrigeration energy use by 45 to 60 percent.
• Improving food safety with new and more reliable equipment.
• Extending equipment life by up to five years.

For more information or to schedule a free refrigeration assessment, contact the REP team at 1-833-274-7378 or email rep@burmanenergy.ca. Following the assessment, your business will receive a detailed action plan designed to maximize the energy savings while minimizing disruption to your business. All equipment replacements and installations are completed by a licensed local refrigeration contractor.

What are the Eligibility Requirements?
Your business may qualify for REP if  you meet the following criteria:

• You have a General Service Account (residential accounts are not eligible).
• Your business uses commercial-grade refrigeration to cool products.
• Your business has an average peak electricity demand of less than 250 kilowatts annually.
• You own or lease the facility (if you lease the space, you must have written permission from the owner).
• You have not participated in a previous business refrigeration program.

For more information on REP, the eligibility requirements and the application process, please visit www.kwhydro.ca or www.wnhydro.com/rep.

For more energy saving tips and tools, go to www.kwhydro.ca or visit www.wnhydro.com/energyefficiency.

About Kitchener-Wilmot Hydro Inc.

Kitchener-Wilmot Hydro Inc. is a local distribution company, responsible for distributing electricity to more than 97,000 homes and businesses within the City of Kitchener and the Township of Wilmot. A wholly owned subsidiary of Kitchener Power Corp., Kitchener-Wilmot Hydro Inc. is one of the most efficient utilities in Ontario and is focused on providing a safe and reliable supply of electricity to its customers.

About Waterloo North Hydro Inc. 

Waterloo North Hydro Inc. is regulated and licensed to provide all regulated electricity distribution services to 58,000 residential and business customers spanning 683 square kilometers in the City of Waterloo and the Townships of Wellesley and Woolwich. Waterloo North Hydro Inc. is a subsidiary of Waterloo North Hydro Holding Corporation and is jointly owned by the City of Waterloo and the Townships of Wellesley and Woolwich.