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Ten years ago, Jim Sharp made a change to his dry cleaning business. A change he soon realized wasn’t all he’d hoped it would be.
After switching to electric, Jim found that his bills increased significantly over time, and his equipment broke down, leading to hefty repair costs. In order to save money, Jim decided it was time to return to the reliability of natural gas.
How Spire made it work
With straight-forward pricing and consistent rates, Jim’s only remaining concern was the process of converting to natural gas and installing new equipment. So to make sure Sharp Cleaners didn’t miss a day of business, Spire converted the electric boiler, dryer and water heater to natural gas over the weekend.
"I made what you might call a tactical
error."
error."
I made what you might call a tactical error. I was offered a great deal by the electric company to switch to all-electric equipment. I was told it would save me money on my monthly bill, and that the equipment itself would be more reliable.
Sharp Cleaners project at a glance
Contractor
The need
Natural gas boiler, dryer and water heater
Thumbs up
The end result
Client saved on monthly gas bill and regular repair costs
Ask the owner
What made you decide to switch back to natural gas?
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In the end, it was about saving on my monthly bill and repair costs. My monthly bill was high, and during peak season, I was charged extra in the afternoon. As a small business, those costs certainly added up, but I can’t even imagine the electric bills the bigger cleaning businesses are facing. It just makes financial sense to switch. It was a pretty simple choice.
How did your business development partner assist you during the process?
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They were great from the start. I talked with Kelvin Johnson, a commercial business development representative. He made sure everything was within the price range we discussed, and it was all completed without interrupting my normal business schedule.
What would you tell a peer about Spire?
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I would just tell them what a great experience I had. They worked with my budget, and they set everything up over the weekend so that I didn’t lose a single day of business. All and all, they made it a smooth process.
How has switching to natural gas helped your cleaning business?
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My equipment works! I’m not making repairs all the time, and we don’t have to work around peak rates. Everything is just very reliable and consistent. And for my business, that’s a good thing.
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