Light switch means big savings for Queensborough liquor store

Al Arburthnot did the math and made the decision to switch the halogen lights off inside his Queensborough Landing Liquor Store and turn LED ones on.

“It’s kind of a no-brainer,” said Arburthnot.

The 50- and 250-watt fixtures he was using were costing him $645 a month in his utility bill.

Along came Chris Jordon, the chief executive officer of 1-888-burnt-out?, a sign and lighting services company. Arburthnot has been dealing with Jordon for more than 30 years.

Jordon crunched the numbers for Arburthnot and figured out it would cost $7,700 to convert the store to LED (light emitting diode) lamps.

If he did so, Arburthnot would be eligible for a rebate of $4,200 from BC Hydro’s Power Smart program.
Jordon estimated the new lights would also reduce the store’s monthly bill to $38, and that instead of changing lights on a regular basis at a cost of $24 apiece the lamps would last two to three years.

That meant, according to his calculations, Arburthnot would recoup his investment in less than six months.
“LED has much higher cost up front, but the long-term energy saving and maintenance costs far outweigh [older types of lighting],” said Jordon.

Arburthnot said another factor in his decision was his costs were destined to go up dramatically.
Hydro’s plans to introduce smart meters to nail down precise usage would likely mean his store would be slotted into the more expensive “tier two” rate.

Arburthnot is also assuming electricity will only get more expensive in the future.
“We do have fairly inexpensive electricity. On a North American scale we are reasonably priced, but I see it is going to go nowhere but up.”

He also plans to install LED when his store at 57 Below, next to the New Westminster SkyTrain station, is integrated into the new mall being built there.