Duke Energy Florida has officially announced its bid to help people lower their energy consumption this summer. To understand the significance of such an effort, though, we must start by acknowledging how the month of May was the hottest May on record for many locations across central and north Florida. In response to that, Duke is bringing a set of measures which includes no- to low-cost tools, comprehensive programs, and specialized assistance, all geared towards empowering customers to reduce the money they would have otherwise spent on energy consumption alone. Talk about the whole value proposition on a slightly deeper level, we begin from Duke’s new usage alerts that will make it possible for customers to effectively predict what they will spend on electricity. This they can do by simply reviewing the Usage Alerts that arrive midway through a billing cycle. In case it didn’t sound impressive enough, with a smart meter and an email address on file, customers are automatically enrolled to receive a Usage Alert notification which shows how much electricity is being used and how much it may cost, while simultaneously providing users enough time to adjust. More on the same would reveal that one can also check out Duke’s website or the Duke Energy app, where the company tracks energy usage down to the hour, day or week to help visitors realize when energy use is spiking and adjust habits that may be driving it up.
Moving on to the promised programs, they include, for starters, an initiative called EnergyWise® Home, which is an easy for people to reduce energy consumption, at scale, during periods of high demand. Surely, the participants here can play an active part in preserving natural resources, delaying the need for more power plants, and keeping energy costs lower for everyone, but for this whole push, they will also receive up to $141 in annual bill credits. Another program coming into play is called Time-of-Use. The Time-of-Use program basically allows participants to pay lower rates (as compared to the standard residential rate) by shifting their energy use to times of lower demand. Likewise to that, rates will increase when customer demand is high and more people are using electricity. Moving on, there is also a Home Energy Check program, which will help customers find ways to reduce their home’s energy use, lower their bill, and see if they qualify for rebates or free energy-saving products. In essence, the stated program provides a custom report with a home’s past and current energy usage, a free energy efficiency kit, and expert recommendations for home improvements that will save energy and add value to your home. Duke Energy will also launch a Weatherization Program to let customers take benefits of its income-qualified Weatherization Program, something meant to assist single-family and multifamily units in saving money and reducing expenses through the installation of energy conservation measures throughout their home. This particular program is open to owners and renters having owner approval, with eligibility being determined by the weatherization office and an in-home assessment.
“Duke Energy serves diverse communities, that’s why we focus on providing a wide range of programs to help customers manage energy use and save money,” said Melissa Seixas, president of Duke Energy Florida. “It’s important we meet customers where they are. We’re here to help, when customers need us most.”
Among other things, Duke Energy is introducing Installment Payment Plans to help people who need flexibility in the context paying their energy bills. Complimenting that is the company’s intention to work alongside local and state agencies to connect qualified customers with resources like Share the Light Fund® and Low Income Home Energy Assistance programs.
