Making lives better, one house at a time Making lives better, one house at a time

Making lives better, one house at a time

Neighborhood Energy Saver program helps Indiana neighborhood conserve

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For Mary Ann Clounch, the help she received from Duke Energy was heaven-sent.

“The folks from Duke Energy were angels who came to help me.”

Clounch is 74 years old, lives in a small home in Jeffersonville, Ind., and has some difficulty with her home’s upkeep.

“There were gaps around the door frames that let in daylight and air,” she said, “and I didn’t really know what to do about it. I am on a fixed income and I usually need to let problems like this go.”

Enter Duke Energy’s Neighborhood Energy Saver (NES) program, which helped Clounch's home become more energy efficient and save money on her utilities bill – all at no cost to her. The program, which began in 2006, recently reached a milestone, serving its 100,000th customer across the company's territories.

Clounch’s home received a number of energy-saving products such as new lightbulbs, furnace filters, weatherstripping, digital switch plate thermometers and water-saving showerheads and sink aerators. Customers may receive up to 16 free energy-saving products installed at no cost, customized for each home.

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NES provides customers with free energy assessments and installation of energy-saving products that can save customers up to $95 a year. The program is available to customers throughout Duke Energy’s territories who live in select census-defined communities defined by Duke Energy.

Just before the holidays last year, the program gave assistance to nearly 1,300 of Clounch’s neighbors in south Jeffersonville.

“This area was very welcoming and thankful that Duke Energy has a program like this,” said Vince Literal, Duke Energy’s Midwest NES program manager. “Given the timing, some customers viewed it as a sort of Christmas gift.”

Phil Ellis, Executive Director/CEO of Community Action of Southern Indiana, noted the value that that NES provides to the community. "This program is a valuable tool in providing energy conservation measures to offset the loss of energy from the homes. The results provide homeowners direct cost savings to help with other household expenses."

Lorrie Maggio, Duke Energy’s manager of products and services, said the company is committed to providing services to its customers to help them save energy, as well as money.

“The Neighborhood Energy Saver program has been a great outreach opportunity to assist income-eligible customers across our service territories,” she said. 

Clounch could not be happier with the program.

“Oh, my goodness, I am so thankful for the help I received,” she said. ”The Duke Energy people were so polite and wonderful. It really was the good Lord looking down on me.”

How to be energy efficient and save

Duke Energy offers programs focused on home energy efficiency, including home improvement incentives and energy-efficient products. A free Home Energy House Call is available to eligible customers except those in Florida. More information: duke-energy.com/dingdong or 844.DING.DONG. A free Home Energy Check is available to eligible Florida customers. More information: 877.574.0340.

The Neighborhood Energy Saver program works to help income-eligible families lower energy bills through options such as weatherstripping, foam insulation and energy-efficient lightbulbs that Duke Energy installs at no cost to the customer. Learn more at duke-energy.com/NES.

Check duke-energy.com to see which programs are available in your state.

 

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