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NEW YORK, NY March 02, 2007 —Businesses that leave their doors and windows open while their air conditioners are running could be fined 200 dollars, under a bill being considered by the City Council. WNYC's Beth Fertig has more.

REPORTER: The legislation is directed at stores that crank their air conditioning in the summer as a way of luring in customers. Elaine Abrams, who lives on the Upper East Side, urged council members to pass the law at a committee hearing. She says she's personally lobbied stores along Madison and Fifth Avenues to close their doors.

ABRAMS: One of the answers I get is 'it's our money and none of your business' and I say 'ah ah, it's our power and you're raising the price by overusing.'

REPORTER: The Bloomberg Administration had created a sustainability office to deal with growing energy demands. But the commissioner of small business services says the administration prefers to educate businesses about the need to close their doors before fining them. For WNYC I'm Beth Fertig.