Heirloom Linens of Victoria shows what small businesses can do to save energy and the environment.

Improving lighting quality – and the bottom line – one light bulb at a time. That's the approach taken by Heirloom Linens of Victoria. The company, which sells fashion bedding, duvets, pillows, featherbeds and other specialty bed and bath items, recently replaced 65 incandescent lamps with compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs).

"In our business, as in most retail businesses, good colour reproduction is critical for displaying merchandise to its best advantage," said Joan Lanson, owner of the 13-year-old shop with her husband, Bob. "We wanted to improve the lighting quality for customers – and any energy savings we could gain would be a bonus."

"Many small businesses think there isn't much they can do to help the environment, but there are plenty of opportunities," Bob added. "Lighting is a good place to start. In addition to saving energy, compact fluorescent lamps last up to eight times longer than incandescent bulbs, which means lower replacement costs and less waste going to the landfill. Plus we'll need less air conditioning, which is also good for the environment."

Incentives for upgrades

Heirloom Linens had been upgrading their lighting over the years as new technologies came along that offered better colour reproduction and energy efficiency. Then they heard about BC Hydro's Power Smart Product Incentive Program, which offers businesses financial incentives for installing energy-efficient products to replace existing inefficient technologies. In addition to lighting technologies, the program provides incentives for products related to controls and sensors and heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems. (See sidebar.)

As a result of the retrofit, Heirloom Linens is saving about $800 a year in electricity costs – impressive savings for a 3,000-square-foot shop. What's more, the store is cooler and more comfortable for customers and staff, because CFLs produce significantly less heat than incandescents. Most important, though, is the improvement in lighting quality and colour reproduction. "The change is truly remarkable," Joan Lanson said.

Find out more about Bob Ianson

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