We are owners of the Sudbury Inn in Bethel, both raised in Maine, and are writing in support of L.D. 1435.

We bought the inn in June of 2000 and have been fortunate to see our business grow in the past five years.

Throughout our tenure at the Sudbury, we have worked to reduce energy costs. New oil burners, more-efficient hot water heaters, low energy lighting and refrigeration equipment, recycling of cooking oils, bottles and cardboards all have contributed to significant savings and increased profitability in our business.

In the year 2000, energy and utilities represented 5.3 percent of our annual budget; in 2004 the same costs were only 4.3 percent of our budget. These savings occurred in a year when oil prices were up 30 percent or more. We are now saving enough in utility costs to hire another person.

We support energy-efficient products because they are good for our business but, more importantly, because they are good for the environment and the state of Maine.

Bill and Nancy White, Bethel

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