With the bottom line in mind, businesses are increasingly turning a critical eye toward their wall sockets.
“We want to make sure every business in Connecticut knows that we”™re here and that there is a viable, competitive alternative to the utility companies with no surprise increases,” said Norwalk-based Abest Power & Gas Co. CEO Frank Rosa. Â “We communicate with our customers and give them options.”
Business partners Buckley Ryan and B.J. Lawless had worked in several restaurants before teaming up to launch B.J. Ryan”™s restaurant in Norwalk seven years ago. Shortly after opening, the owners realized the steep cost involved in heating and cooling a 3,500-square-foot establishment with its compressors, ovens, flat-screen TVs and gas burners that operate 365 days a year. The catering service based at the restaurant pushed energy costs even higher.
After shifting to Abest, Lawless estimated B.J. Ryan”™s monthly savings to be more than $200 per month, or $2,400 annually, compared with utility rates.
When the partners opened a second location in Norwalk three years ago, the BANC House, they signed again with Abest Power. The 4,000-square-foot location requires even more electricity. The two eateries combined spend an average $2,500 per month on power.
“The per-kilowatt-hour rate difference of tenths of a cent doesn”™t seem like much,” Abest said in a statement. “But for Lawless, the cost savings by buying electricity through Abest Power frees up cash flow for other parts of the business.”
