ST. PETERSBURG, FLA. - Nearly 1,200 low-income customers in Apalachicola, Fla., will soon receive a much-needed boost from Progress Energy Florida, a subsidiary of Duke Energy.
Through the company's innovative Neighborhood Energy Saver program, the homes and apartments of qualified customers will receive a complimentary energy makeover, which includes the installation of up to 16 energy-saving improvements. The company will also educate customers about the behaviors and other factors that contribute to their energy bills.
"Progress Energy Florida is committed to help our customers better understand and manage their energy use," said Alex Glenn, president of Progress Energy Florida. "Through the Neighborhood Energy Saver program, we provide customers the tools to help reduce their energy bills, and the information needed to make long-lasting, positive change."
The Neighborhood Energy Saver program benefits low-income customers living in select, census-defined communities. Since the program's inception in 2006, Progress Energy Florida has implemented the program in more than 30 communities across the state and installed more than 280,000 energy-efficiency improvements in more than 15,000 low-income customers' homes.
The Progress Energy Neighborhood Energy Saver program kickoff will take place on Tuesday, April 9, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Apalachicola Senior Center & Community Facility at 205 Dr. Fredrick S. Humphries St.
Eligible customers will learn about the program and the energy-efficiency improvements that, when used in conjunction with energy-saving practices, can help save up to $150 a year in energy costs.
In partnership with the city of Apalachicola, Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, Franklin County Government, Hillside Coalition of Laborers for Apalachicola (HCOLA) and Capital Area Community Action Agency, Progress Energy plans to install energy-efficient improvements in 1,179 homes at no cost to residents.
Progress Energy Neighborhood Energy Saver team members will install improvements beginning April 10 and will conclude in mid-July. Each participant will receive up to 16 energy-efficiency improvements at no cost, including:
- water heater wraps and insulation for water pipes
- low-flow faucet aerator and low-flow showerhead
- refrigerator coil brush and refrigerator thermometer
- wall plate thermometer
- HVAC winterization kit
- water heater temperature check and adjustment
- HVAC filters and a filter-change calendar
Progress Energy Florida also helps reduce energy loss through the installation of door sweeps, caulking, foam insulation, weather stripping and clear patch tape. In addition, the company provides up to five compact fluorescent light bulbs.
The Apalachicola program targets homes and apartments with the following boundaries:
- Highway 98 (Avenue E) east to Market Street
- Market Street north to Avenue M,
- Avenue M west to 11th Street
- 11th Street north to 12th Street, (to include 2nd Avenue, 4th Avenue, South Avenue and Main Street from 4th Avenue to 12th Street)
- 12th Street northwest to Bluff Road
- Bluff Road west to PAL Rivers/Airport Road
- PAL Rivers/Airport Road south to Highway 98
A flier showing the eligible area is available upon request. Federal and state guidelines and census data are used to objectively select communities where the program would be most beneficial.
The Neighborhood Energy Saver program began as a pilot project in 2006 in St. Petersburg's Palmetto Park community. The program has been so successful that the company has conducted the outreach in 34 communities statewide, including Altamonte Springs, Apopka, Avon Park, Clearwater, Crystal River, DeLand, East Orlando, Eastpoint, Eatonville, Haines City, Inverness, Jasper, Madison, New Port Richey, Perry, Plymouth, Sebring, Trenton and several St. Petersburg neighborhoods.
The Southeastern Electric Exchange awarded the project the 2007 Industry Excellence Award in the Rates & Regulation category.
Since 1981, Progress Energy Florida has helped its customers save more than $1 billion through its energy-efficiency programs a savings that represents enough electricity conserved by customers to power more than 900,000 homes for a year. These programs have helped eliminate more than 8.3 million tons of CO2 (equal to removing more than 1.8 million cars from the road every year).
"Energy efficiency is critical to meeting our state's long-term energy needs," Glenn said. "It is the quickest, easiest and most environmentally friendly way to reduce energy use."
During the next decade, the utility anticipates these measures will avoid the need for an additional 1,500 megawatts of new generation.
For more information on energy efficiency tips that all homeowners can benefit from, visit https://www.progress-energy.com/florida/home/save-energy-money/index.page.
Progress Energy Florida, a subsidiary of Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), provides electricity and related services to more than 1.6 million customers in Florida. The company is headquartered in St. Petersburg, Fla., and serves a territory encompassing more than 20,000 square miles including the cities of St. Petersburg and Clearwater, as well as the Central Florida area surrounding Orlando.
Progress Energy Florida is pursuing a balanced approach to meeting the future energy needs of the region. That balance includes increased energy-efficiency programs, investments in renewable energy technologies and a state-of-the-art electricity system. More information is available at www.progress-energy.com.
Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Duke Energy is a Fortune 250 company traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DUK. More information about the company is available at: www.duke-energy.com.