COSE Adds Natural Gas Program
CLEVELAND, Aug. 31 /PRNewswire/ — The Council of Smaller Enterprises (COSE), the small business arm of the Greater Cleveland Partnership, announced the addition of a natural gas program to its portfolio of products in which thousands of Northeast Ohio small businesses participate. As of today, the natural gas program is open to all COSE members as well as their employees.
“Right now, everyone is feeling the effects of increased energy costs,” said Jeanne Coughlin, Chairman of COSE and president of the Coughlin Group. “With those costs continuing to rise, a natural gas program will be an advantage our members can use to reduce costs — both in business and at home.”
COSE is partnering with WPS Energy Services, a subsidiary of WPS Resources Corp. , a Fortune 500 energy supplier, to offer the reduced natural gas rates. Members who enroll in Dominion East Ohio’s Energy Choice program through WPS Energy will receive a special discount off published rates. WPS Energy already serves more than 100,000 businesses and homeowners in Ohio. Those customers saved more than $10 million in energy costs in 2004.
COSE made the decision to develop a natural gas program after achieving tremendous success and savings for its members through the COSE Electric Program, which began in 2001.
“The COSE Electric Program has saved our members more than a million dollars every year and continues to grow,” added Coughlin. “We’re looking for similar savings for our members with the natural gas program.”
In a move than can affect nearly 150,000 northeast Ohioans, COSE is also making the natural gas program available to the employees of its 16,000-plus member companies.
“Our members can use this program to decrease business costs and to bolster their employees’ benefits packages,” said Steve Millard, executive director of COSE. “Considering today’s headlines about energy prices, we expect employees and their families to take advantage of the savings that COSE’s natural gas program offers.”
The COSE/WPS Energy natural gas program offers the following: – Special ongoing discount compared to WPS Energy’s already competitive rates. – No cancellation fee for the quarterly fixed rate plan. – Dedicated, responsive 24/7 call center with multilingual service representatives. – Reputable subsidiary of a Fortune 500 Company with strong financials providing reliable supplies and dependable agreements.
In addition to discounted prices, COSE is offering members incentives to join the program including random giveaways such as gift certificates to local retailers and a drawing for up to $1,000 of free natural gas for one member company.
More information about the COSE/WPS Energy natural gas program is available at http://www.wpsenergy.com/cose, or by calling 1-888-878-5420.
About WPS Energy Services
WPS Energy Services, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of WPS Resources Corp. , is a diversified natural gas and electric marketer, which serves customers with physical natural gas and electric supplies in the northeast quadrant of the United States and adjacent portions of Canada. Its corporate mission is to “Provide Customers with the Best Value in Energy and Related Services.” (http://www.wpsenergy.com/)
About COSE
COSE, the small business arm of the Greater Cleveland Partnership, serves as a one-stop resource for its members by providing: group-purchasing programs that reduce the cost of doing business; education and development programs for small- and mid-sized businesses; advocacy on legislative and regulatory issues affecting the business community; a wide range of resources focused on helping firms grow; and economic development partners that can address business concerns. (http://www.cose.org/)
COSE
CONTACT: Terri Kevany of Greater Cleveland Partnership, +1-216-592-2260;or Laura Boustani of Boustani Consulting, LLC, +1-216-671-7900; or Mike Welchof WPS Energy Services, Inc., +1-920-617-6044
Web site: http://www.clevelandgrowth.com/http://www.cose.org/http://www.wpsenergy.com/http://www.wpsenergy.com/cose