Co-op Cost Cutters
Buying Program for Co-ops
Co-op Cost Cutters began in 1998 as a service of the local Ontario Federations. These include CHASEO, COCHF, CHFT, GHCHF, LCHF and PHCHF.
The program offers savings on a wide range of products used by co-ops. Paint, carpet, tile, flooring, building maintenance supplies, credit information, energy efficient lighting and appliances, water efficient toilets and washing machines - and office supplies - are just some of the products available at great discounts. It is not surprising that the program soon became a very large part of the services offered by these 6 federations, providing great savings for their members.
There are many provinces and regions across Canada that do not have a local federation. In 2003, CHF Canada approached the federations to see if the program could be extended to these areas. The rest is history.
The program was also extended to CHF members in Ontario, where there is no local federation. These areas include Southwestern Ontario, Northern Ontario - and some co-ops in between.
Co-op Cost Cutters currently reaches over 600 co-ops across Canada - in Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland Labrador, the Northwest Territories - and one co-op in Nunavut! This is co-op buying power and at its best!
The program varies slightly from region to region. Some of the services that reach all areas are ICI Paints for paint and flooring, Grand & Toy for office supplies and furniture, The Home Depot Supply for all kinds of maintenance supplies and tools and Rent Check for credit checks and rental history.
In Ontario, there is also Appliance Canada, Ricoh for photocopiers, Phelps for laundry equipment, DataValet for high speed internet, Star Choice for television services, Stratacon for toilet replacement and much more.
All the Cost Cutters services provide free delivery to major cities.
The focus of the program is on energy and water efficient products. These range from light bulbs (Home Depot Supply) that save $45 per bulb a year and last for 8 years - to washing machines that use 40% less water and 60% less electricity.
With the environment in mind, Appliance Canada features Energy Star appliances that use the least amount of electricity. For co-ops that keep repairing their old fridges, it might be better to replace them altogether!
All regions have seen rising water costs. Older toilets use more than twice the water of low-flow toilets. Replacing these is saving co-ops thousands of dollars a year on water costs. In Ontario, Stratacon does this work and handles the entire project. The Home Depot Supply also sells low flow toilets at phenomenal prices. Once the new toilets are installed, the savings are immediate and ongoing.
Grand & Toy offers discounts of 46-87% on office supplies and 20% on office furniture. Ricoh provides Energy Star photocopiers - and will be the official copier of the CHF AGM this year!
Rent Check offers a 50% savings on credit checks - plus a national data base to report members who leave owing arrears. With DataValet, high speed internet is as simple as plugging in, at a fraction of the price of other providers.
Co-op Cost Cutters is co-ordinated by Miriam Wohl at the Co-operative Housing Federation of Toronto (CHFT). Miriam sends out program information to participating co-ops throughout the year. In order to access the discounts, co-ops must be a member of their local federation, where a local federation delivers this service - or a member of CHF Canada, where there is no local federation.
The participating federations, with Miriam's support, monitor the program to track problems. If a problem does arise, co-ops do not stand alone. There is a network of communication and support that includes the suppliers, the federations and Miriam. If you encounter a problem, let your federation or Miriam know. It can usually be resolved quickly. Feedback is important and always welcome.
Also tell us if your experience with Co-op Cost Cutters has been a good one. We will post your testimonials on this website. (list federations with contact info).
What people say
Our co-op used Stratacon to replace all toilets, showerheads and aerators for 51 units. Stratacon's initial estimate suggested that the payback time for water savings would be seventeen months. However, we actually recovered our costs in eleven and a half months.
Corktown Co-op, Hamilton