Government launches program to help small business reduce energy costs

The government has launched a Business Energy Advice Program (BEAP), giving small businesses access to two new free services including a personalised energy advice service for businesses with six-20 employees and an online tool to help them understand their energy savings opportunities.

BEAP, a joint initiative between the government and a division of the NSW Business Chamber, is expected to help small businesses save on energy bills, while giving them access to grants and equipment that can support them to become more energy efficient.

The government said it has partnered with AlphaBeta and Xero to develop the Small Business Energy Check online benchmarking tool, which will allow small businesses to compare their energy spend to that of other similar businesses in their area and industry.

“I'm very excited about the Small Business Energy Check benchmarking tool and the role that it will play alongside of the one-to-one consultations,” said the Minister for Energy and Emission Reduction, Angus Taylor.

“It's built on that very simple idea that a business in central Sydney can have a very different profile to a small business in a regional area. So a café in Goulburn, where I live, will be very different from a cafe in this area of Sydney, and it recognises that in the granularity of the benchmarking,” Mr Taylor added.

The BEAP is a result of recommendations from the 2018 ACCC Retail Electricity Price Inquiry, which found that small businesses can find it difficult to navigate the energy retail market and as a result are paying more than their fair share for energy.

Speaking at the launch of the initiative, the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Kate Carnell commended the government.

She revealed that small business owners are experiencing high levels of stress and anxiety about energy bills, with 68 per cent reporting these bills affect their cash flow.

“A recent SME survey showed 70 per cent would reduce investment in capital expenditure due to higher energy prices,” Ms Carnell said, adding that instead of trying to absorb energy price rises, small businesses will now be able to shop around for a better deal.

“I encourage all small businesses to get onto the Business Energy Advice website to check their energy spend and find out how they can save money.”