Commercial Electric Lawn Equipment Program FAQs
1. What is the Sw.eLL’s goal?
2. Why is battery-operated commercial lawn care attractive?
For 3 reasons:
https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2015-09/documents/banks.pdf
Links to examples of successful electric lawn care companies: TBD
3. Can having just 1 lawn-care company change the environment in Swarthmore?
Yes, for 3 reasons
5. How will Sw.eLL bring an electric lawn care company to Swarthmore?
7. How much money is Sw.eLL raising, from how many people?
8. Will I get my money back?
9. When will the electric lawn care service be available?
10. Why do I have to wait till 2028 to get my money back?
11. Will I get any money back if the lawn company defaults on the loan given to them by Sw.eLL?
12. Can I make a donation instead of a loan?
13. Do I need to change my lawn care company if I donate to Sw.eLL?
14. What should I do if I do not like to services offered by the lawn care company that Sw.eLL chooses to fund?
15. Can I support Sw.eLL if I don’t use a commercial lawn care company?
16. Is Sw.eLL a nonprofit?
17. How is Sw.eLL connected to A Few Steps?
18. Does the Swarthmore Environmental Action Committee endorse Sw.eLL?
19. I'm a lawn care company interested in the loan. Who can I contact?
- Give residents of Swarthmore the option to hire a lawn care company that operates battery-powered equipment.
2. Why is battery-operated commercial lawn care attractive?
For 3 reasons:
- Reduced Noise
- Reduced noxious fumes
- Reduced carbon emissions
https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2015-09/documents/banks.pdf
Links to examples of successful electric lawn care companies: TBD
3. Can having just 1 lawn-care company change the environment in Swarthmore?
Yes, for 3 reasons
- The first battery-powered lawn care company can serve a large number of households in Swarthmore.
- The first lawn care company will be proof of the viability of electric lawn care service and will result in more commercial companies entering the market
- There will be more demand from residents for all electric lawn care when they see and hear electric services being offered to their neighbors in the community.
- There are, just not in Swarthmore.
- The cost of buying new equipment, especially when you may be already paying off loans for equipment you purchased in the not-so-distant past.
- Concerns about how well electric equipment can support heavy workloads compared to the tried and tested gas equipment.
- The familiarity and continuity offered by gas equipment
5. How will Sw.eLL bring an electric lawn care company to Swarthmore?
- Sw.eLL offers a 0% interest loan to the lawn care company. This allows the lawn care company to buy equipment without worrying about getting a bank loan or the interest rates associated with one.
- We believe a significant proportion of the residents who help raise the funding will also be likely to use the new lawn care services creating a ready customer base for the new equipment.
- No. Sw.eLL is a volunteer project to gather funds from the community to provide a loan to a small business lawn care company.
7. How much money is Sw.eLL raising, from how many people?
- Sw.eLL’s goal is to raise $30,000.
- If every household loans $300, just a hundred households will be enough to raise the sum.
8. Will I get my money back?
- The loan to A Few Steps is unsecured, i.e., there is no collateral against each loan. That said, Sw.eLL plans to provide the loan to the lawn care company with the requirement that they pay the loan back.
9. When will the electric lawn care service be available?
- We are expecting to be able to provide a loan to a lawn company by the fall of 2023. So Services may start by the fall “blowing” season or if delayed, by the spring “mowing” season.
10. Why do I have to wait till 2028 to get my money back?
- To keep costs low and to keep it simple: Sw.eLL is a volunteer nonprofit and we want to keep our costs as close to zero as possible. The per-loan cost of administrating a large number of very small $ loans can be significant. There is also some uncertainty about when a lawn company will be able to repay the loan.
11. Will I get any money back if the lawn company defaults on the loan given to them by Sw.eLL?
- We will repay pro-rata, i.e., proportionate to the money you put in, whatever money has been collected from the lawn company until default.
12. Can I make a donation instead of a loan?
- Yes, you can write a check to A Few Steps and designate it in the memo section to Sw.eLL.
13. Do I need to change my lawn care company if I donate to Sw.eLL?
- No. There is no connection between the lawn care service you choose in the future and your decision to contribute to Sw.eLL
- Sw.eLL will provide your name and address to the electric lawn care company as a possible prospect that they could reach out to.
14. What should I do if I do not like to services offered by the lawn care company that Sw.eLL chooses to fund?
- You can switch to another lawn care company (gas or electric).
15. Can I support Sw.eLL if I don’t use a commercial lawn care company?
- Yes , anyone can contribute to Sw.eLL.
16. Is Sw.eLL a nonprofit?
- Yes, we are a volunteer project sponsored by A Few Steps - afewsteps.org
17. How is Sw.eLL connected to A Few Steps?
- Sw.eLL is a project. A Few Steps is the nonprofit legal entity responsible for the project.
18. Does the Swarthmore Environmental Action Committee endorse Sw.eLL?
- Yes, as of the date of this writing.
19. I'm a lawn care company interested in the loan. Who can I contact?
- Please email: swell@afewsteps.org