Approximately 90% of the 100,000 businesses on Long Island are small businesses. From a purely economic standpoint, that is significant. But these businesses are part of the fabric of Long Island communities, as well.
This has driven PSEG Long Island to make a dedicated commitment to work alongside local businesses on the island and in The Rockaways with a program called Business First.
The mission: To help small businesses find ways to reduce energy to save money—because every penny counts to a small enterprise.
Here are three businesses that have received assistance from the popular PSEG Long Island offerings, showing how impactful the program can be:
Grasshopper’s Comics
John Riley, owner of Grasshopper’s Comics, has loved comic books as long as he can remember. He collected them over 30 years and eventually parlayed his passion into an internationally known business in Williston Park. However, he realized his energy costs were a major expense. He met with Alice, a PSEG Long Island Business Customer Advocate, who helped him sign up for a free energy assessment. The assessment was able to show John places in his store that were not energy efficient—and a plan was created to highlight what he could do to save energy and costs.
It came down to two main things: He had a 50-year-old oil tank that was not only a liability but an energy hog, and he had outdated fluorescent lighting.
John received $16,000 in rebates through the PSEG program to help cover the cost of upgrades. He installed a super-efficient heat pump system to replace his oil system. The heat pump handles his cooling and heating needs, while being eco-friendly, which he likes. And he went to all-LED lighting, which is about 90% more efficient than the lighting he had.
The results have been significant. “I now save 20% a month on my energy costs, which helps tremendously,” he says. He recommends other small businesses check into the programs available.
Baking Coach in Bellport
Lisa Basini, owner of Baking Coach, started cooking when she was five years old. She loved being with her grandmother in the kitchen, and baking gave her a sense of accomplishment.
To reduce kitchen cleanup, Lisa altered her recipes to be as simple as possible. She began to teach other kids how to bake this way. She even created and sold pre-packaged baking “kits.” The business was a hit.
In 2023, Lisa took her passion to the next level. “I opened a store with help from PSEG Long Island’s rebates and Vacant Space Program,” she says.
Lisa qualified for the Vacant Space Program because the space she chose had been empty for a number of years. The program provided Lisa with more than $1,600 in on-bill energy credits during her first year.
And with rebates of more than $2,000, Lisa, like John Riley, installed LED lighting, which she says now saves on her utility bill every month. “The rebates and bill credits continue to pay off,” she says.
Lisa has since opened a nonprofit to help kids of all abilities create their own simple recipes and sell pre-packaged ingredient kits. “It’s a dream come true to take my love of baking and connect with kids who get to learn they have gifts to share through cooking.”
All Music Inc in Plainview
Guy Brogna is no newcomer to hard work. For many years, he was a professional recording and touring musician. He played in two well-known bands as a bass guitarist.
When Guy stopped touring, he connected with his friend who at the time owned All Music Inc. and Guy began working there. At one point his friend suggested Guy buy the store. “The offer made sense, so I took it,” says Guy.
Guy realized owning a business, like touring, was hard work. A 24-hour-a-day gig.
There’s a lot to keep up with and do. The store offers guitars, basses, drums, keyboards and orchestral instruments that range from entry-level student models to top-of-the-line, professional grade gear. Guy even teaches kids how to play guitar.
So, while music was Guy’s passion, maintaining a store was not. He found that dealing even with just the lighting was not easy. “My lights and ballast would go out a lot. It seemed I was always replacing something, and it was expensive,” he explains. But when he heard about PSEG Long Island’s rebate program to help small businesses, he delved further. He contacted a local contractor and they went through the entire store with Guy, light by light, and came up with a plan involving PSEG Long Island’s energy-efficiency and rebate program.
Guy qualified for, and received, nearly $6,000 in rebates to help him upgrade to energy-saving, long-lasting LED lighting. It helped reduce his energy bill by about $1,800 annually, and he realized a secondary benefit: the new LED lights made his store look brighter.
“The way it made the guitars look was amazing,” he says. “I wish I’d done this sooner.”
Now Guy gets to focus on other aspects of his business, that do not involve changing light bulbs, which is one thing he is very grateful for.
PSEG Long Island’s Business First Program is open to all small businesses on Long Island or in The Rockaways. You can find out more at psegliny.com/businessfirst.