Face-to-face, phone and digital advice is available to help medium sized businesses understand their energy saving opportunities and effectively switch energy plans and retailers.

The Illawarra Business Chamber is helping local businesses reduce their energy costs and improve efficiency as part of the Australian Government's $11.7 million Business Energy Advice Program (BEAP) launched by Energy and Emissions Reduction minister Angus Taylor.

Chamber executive director Adam Zarth said the program gives small businesses access to two free tools, a personalised energy advice service and a small business energy check online benchmarking tool.

"Energy costs are a major pain point for Illawarra businesses, so this will be an important tool to help them lower their energy costs and get a fairer deal on energy," Mr Zarth said.

"Thirty-two percent of businesses surveyed across the Illawarra, Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven identified energy as a cost reduction priority in our June quarter Business Conditions Survey, so this is a very timely announcement".

"I would encourage small business with between six and 20 employees to take advantage of BEAP and lower their energy costs. There are significant savings to be had, new technologies to be employed, and best practices to be adopted".

The BEAP program has come about as the result of recommendations from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's Retail Electricity Pricing Inquiry, which found that small businesses find it difficult to navigate the energy retail market and as a result are paying more than their fair share for energy.

Businesses interested in finding out more about how BEAP can help them can call the Illawarra Business Chamber on 4223 4722.

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