Murraylands shed owners can swap old 400W lights for LEDs for $33
Your business could save a lot of money under the Retailer Energy Productivity Scheme, says the team at Energy Rebate Check.
This sponsored story is brought to you by Energy Rebate Check.
Walk into most machinery sheds, packing sheds and workshops around Murray Bridge and you will find the lights that went in when the shed was built: big 400-watt lamps that take minutes to warm up and cost a small fortune to run.
What many owners do not know is that a South Australian scheme will replace them with LEDs for a single $33 payment for the whole site.
How it works
The Retailer Energy Productivity Scheme, known as REPS, is a statewide scheme that funds energy upgrades.
For lighting, it covers old 400W high bay lights, the round dome lamps that hang from the roof; and 400W floodlights on walls, poles and yards.
An accredited installer takes the old lights down and fits LED in their place.
On eligible business premises the cost is one $33 co-payment for the whole site, whether there are four lights or 40.
Because the scheme is statewide, a business in Murray Bridge, Mannum, Tailem Bend or Monarto qualifies on the same terms as one in Adelaide.
What it saves
An old 400W lamp draws about 450 watts once its control gear is counted.
The LED that replaces it draws about 70 watts.
Run 10 hours a day, five days a week, at 30 cents per kilowatt hour, that is close to $300 a year saved on every light.
A shed with 10 of them saves almost $3000 a year.
Yard floodlights that run from dusk to dawn save more again, about $450 a year each, because they are on for so many hours.
Who qualifies
The scheme is for business premises.
That includes sheds on a working farm, packing sheds, dairies, workshops, warehouses, factories and depots.
Fluorescent tubes and office ceiling panels are covered as well, at a small cost per fitting.
A shed or garage at home is not covered.
Sites that use a lot of power, roughly a $4000 a month electricity bill or more, pay a different minimum, which the installer sets out in the quote.
Three things to know first
- Do not replace the old lights yourself. They must be in place and working when the installer arrives. If you have already swapped them, the incentive is gone.
- A regular electrician cannot apply it. The work has to be done by an installer accredited under the scheme.
- Get the cost in writing. A proper quote shows what you pay before any work starts.
Why enquire now
Commercial lighting under the scheme is capped each year, and the cap resets on January 1.
As the year runs out, the remaining places fill up.
Enquiring now gives you the best chance of being one of the last installs this year.
If this year’s places are gone, it secures your spot for when the scheme resets on January 1.
Where to start
Count your lights and note roughly how many hours a day they run.
Energy Rebate Check, an independent guide to energy rebates, has a calculator that shows the saving and the cost for your shed.
You will find it in its guide to LED high bay lights in South Australia.
Energy Rebate Check is an independent Australian guide to energy rebates which places enquiries with accredited installers.
- More information: energyrebatecheck.com.au/adelaide-high-bay-lights.
Advertising to more than 20,000 highly engaged locals can do wonders for your business. Call Jane Intini on 0418 835 768 or email jane@murraybridge.news.
Peri Strathearn
