Southern California Edison’s Little Secret

 There are about 300 HOAs in Santa Clarita.  Most of these HOAs have one or more community swimming pool.  Most locations have a large pool, spa and wading pool and they consume a huge amount of electricity.  We are talking electricity bills in the range of $30,000 to $60,000 a year.  SCE loves HOAs.  They pay a ton for electricity and no one involved has an incentive to save electricity.  The management company, who pays the power bill, does not have an incentive to conserve electricity; it’s not their money so they don’t care.  The HOA board members are spending someone else’s money so they do not have an incentive to conserve electricity either.  The HOA homeowner does not have an incentive to save electricity because the bill is a small part of the HOA dues.  Last, the pool service company does not have an incentive to conserve electricity because the energy efficient pool equipment last longer than standard pool equipment and a pool that has gone through an energy efficient upgrade uses less chemicals.  This means that the pool service company will make less profit in repairs/new equipment installs and less profit in chlorine sales.  Because no one involved in a HOA pool has an incentive to conserve electricity, it is nearly impossible for a pool company like mine to get the opportunity to speak at an HOA meeting to explain how much money the HOA could save if they upgraded their pool equipment.  It took me over three years to get my own HOA to consider upgrading our pool equipment and I was one of the Board members. Finally I got my HOA to upgrade the pool equipment and we have been saving over $12,000 each year in electricity for the last 4 years.
Here is SCE’s little secret.  SCE has a commercial swimming pool energy efficient rebate program.  Naturally SCE does its best job to make it extremely difficult to apply for and attain the rebate. To apply for the rebate requires several inspections, a pile of paperwork, measurement of the current electrical use, modeling of the estimated new electrical usage after the upgrade, an excel spread sheet to document all the data, copies of the new equipment manuals etc.
Here is what SCE really, really doesn’t want any HOA board members to find out.  Every HOA energy efficiency upgrade is 100 percent free, that’s right I said free!  Free as in the HOA pays $0, zilch, zero, no money out of pocket.  All new equipment, three year parts and labor warranty, huge electricity savings, all for free.  “How can that be?” you ask cynically.  The SCE rebate plus the first year’s electricity savings is always less than the total cost of the upgrade.  In fact, the average breakeven for a commercial energy efficiency upgrade that we have installed is eight months.  The average rebate amount is $4,000; the average electrical savings is $8,000 a year.  Not only do our clients save electricity but they spend less on chemicals, get much better water quality and the filters and heaters last longer.  Sounds like a no brainer right?  So your assignment, Santa Clarita HOA members, is to contact your HOA Board president and ask that Pools by Ben be put on the agenda for the next HOA meeting.  All I need is five minutes to explain the upgrade, the rebate and the electricity savings.  Your assignment, Santa Clarita property managers, is to ask around your office about pool energy efficient upgrades.  All the major HOA management companies have had one or more upgrades already done by us.
For more information, call 661-263-7503 or visit www.poolsbyben.com.