Duke Energy celebrates Opening Day with the Tampa Bay Rays by pledging to raise funds for Florida customers facing financial hardships

• Duke Energy to donate $1,000 to its Share the Light Fund^® agencies each time the Rays win a game

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., March 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- When the Tampa Bay Rays win this season, so do Florida customers. Duke Energy will donate $1,000 to its Share the Light Fund to help families in need for every Rays regular-season game won.

The Share the Light Fund is a customer assistance program to help Florida residents pay for utility expenses, such as electric, natural gas, oil or wood. Employees, retirees, customers and Duke Energy shareholders contribute to these funds. Donations are then matched dollar for dollar, up to $500,000, by the Duke Energy Foundation.

"Year-round we provide this assistance and additional options for our customers facing financial hardship, but we especially look forward to this time of year when we can lean on the Rays and our community agencies to help us reach even more families and individuals in need," said Melissa Seixas, Duke Energy Florida state president.

All funds collected are distributed each month to numerous Florida chapters of United Way and other social service agencies assisting Duke Energy Florida customers, based on need. Click here to find a listing of service providers by county.

Last year, approximately $1.2 million in energy bill assistance was distributed to qualifying Florida customers through the company's Share the Light Fund.

Duke Energy also offers a number of tools and resources to help customers take control of their energy use and save money. Energy and bill management programs, including Usage Alerts, inform customers when their bills may be higher than normal so they can make adjustments before their bill arrives.

Some of the available programs include:

Free Home Assessment: Find ways to reduce your home's energy use, learn how to lower your bill and see if you qualify for rebates and free energy-saving products at duke-energy.com/FreeHomeCheck.

EnergyWise^® Home: Save on your electric bill by getting up to $141 in annual bill credits while helping your community reduce energy use during periods of high demand. Find out if you are eligible at duke-energy.com/EWHSavings.

Budget Billing: Make budgeting easier with predictable monthly bills, regardless of your energy use or the weather. Plus, there are two convenient payment plans to choose from. Learn more at duke-energy.com/BudgetBilling.

Installment Plans/Payment Plans: Pay back balances over longer periods of time. Eligible customers can request flexible plans that give you more time to pay. Learn about the options at duke-energy.com/MoreTime.

Usage Alerts: Get more control over your electricity use and spending. If you have a smart meter, a mobile phone or an email address on file, you'll automatically be enrolled to receive notifications showing how much electricity you're using and how much it may cost, in time to adjust. Learn more at duke-energy.com/UsageAlerts.

Pick Your Due Date: With Pick Your Due Date, you can choose the date you want your energy bills to be due each month. Learn more at duke-energy.com/PYDD.

Due Date Extension: If you know ahead of time that you will miss your due date, this payment option may be for you. Extend your payment due date by up to 10 business days to avoid late fees. Learn more at duke-energy.com/ExtendDueDate.

Weatherization: This program is designed to help income-qualified customers save energy and reduce expenses through the installation of energy conservation measures in their homes. The program is available to single-family homes and multifamily units, both owners and renters with owner approval. Eligibility of participation is determined by the weatherization office and an in-home assessment. Learn more at duke-energy.com/Weatherization.

Customer Assistance: Some customers may qualify for financial assistance from various government and nonprofit programs for utility bills and other household expenses. Learn more at duke-energy.com/SpecialAssistance.

To learn more about these programs, including Share the Light Fund, visit duke-energy.com/SeasonalBills or call the Customer Care number listed on your energy bill.

Duke Energy Florida

Duke Energy Florida, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, owns 10,500 megawatts of energy capacity, supplying electricity to 1.9 million residential, commercial and industrial customers across a 13,000-square-mile service area in Florida.

Duke Energy Foundation

The Duke Energy Foundation provides more than $30 million annually in philanthropic support to meet the needs of communities where Duke Energy customers live and work. The Foundation is funded by Duke Energy shareholders.

Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America's largest energy holding companies. Its electric utilities serve 8.2 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 50,000 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas unit serves 1.6 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. The company employs 27,600 people.

Duke Energy is executing an aggressive clean energy transition to achieve its goals of net-zero methane emissions from its natural gas business by 2030 and net-zero carbon emissions from electricity generation by 2050. The company has interim carbon emission targets of at least 50% reduction from electric generation by 2030, 50% for Scope 2 and certain Scope 3 upstream and downstream emissions by 2035, and 80% from electric generation by 2040. In addition, the company is investing in major electric grid enhancements and energy storage, and exploring zero-emission power generation technologies such as hydrogen and advanced nuclear.

Duke Energy was named to Fortune's 2023 "World's Most Admired Companies" list and Forbes' "World's Best Employers" list. More information is available at duke-energy.com. The Duke Energy News Center contains news releases, fact sheets, photos and videos. Duke Energy's illumination features stories about people, innovations, community topics and environmental issues. Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

Media contact: Audrey Stasko
Media line: 800.559.3853

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SOURCE Duke Energy