by Martin Saxton
Somebody else’s money
It’s not news that the operating environment for cleaners continues to be challenging. In most major cities, rents continue to follow property prices into the stratosphere, and several provinces are hiking minimum wages. At the same time, water rates are increasing faster than infl a- tion, and the need to make massive investments in aging infrastructure means that this is unlikely to change. The picture for energy is more mixed. Electricity price trends vary widely across the country; after the Ontario government took heat from consumers they recently introduced a 25% price cut that will provide some relief. Natural gas prices have generally been good news for business owners, dropping steadily during 2017 to the point that prices for producers were negative at times towards the end of the year.
The one thing that can be taken for granted is that the picture for utilities will continue to be mixed, and
operators who want to thrive will need to work proactively to fi nd the best solutions. In this article I will talk about some ways to minimize bills, and then look at some of the rebates and grants available that pay you to make effi ciency upgrades.
A DOLLAR SAVED Before you spend your hard earned capital on shiny new equipment, it is a good idea to hunt out the big savings in operating and maintenance costs that can be achieved simply by tweaking how you operate.
Doing your own ‘audit’ look-
ing for ways to save money is simple and there are plenty of low-hanging fruit to look for. I spoke to Lorne Tontegode, long-time cleaning equip- ment mechanic, about some common ways that operators are letting cash slip away. He pointed out that your boiler is the number one energy hog in
most plants, and your DIY audit should start by checking the system for leaks. Your boiler should also be serviced every year to make sure that there is no buildup of scale. Less obvi- ously, Tontegode recommends that you check air compressors and vacuum systems. Neither of these use a lot of energy in regular operation, but that changes as soon as they devel- op leaks. Cleaning or replac- ing air and oil fi lters on all your machinery takes minutes and will boost effi ciency, as well as extending the life span of your equipment.
The easiest way to build this into your routine is to take the time to do up daily, weekly and monthly checklists, with a space to record when each was done, and post them promi- nently in the plant.
HELP IS AT HAND
Once you are getting the best performance from your exist-
BRAND NEW GARMENT
CLEANED IN GREENEARTH 10 TIMES
To find out how you can benefit from a higher quality cleaning with lower costs call Robert Kuenzlen at 519-636-9282 or
rkuenzlen@greenearthcleaning.com For more info visit
www.greenearthcleaning.com
2018 March/April FABRICARE CANADA 17
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