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Duke Energy offers cold weather energy- and money-saving tips to help manage your energy use


The new year brought in a blast of cold weather, and Duke Energy is offering some tips for managing your energy costs.

As colder temperatures settle in, follow these simple energy-efficiency tips to save all winter long.

Money-saving tips to combat the cold

*Reduce your thermostat to the lowest comfortable setting when home, and bump the thermostat down a degree or two when leaving home.

*One of the easiest things customers can do to support heating efficiency is to change air filters regularly. A dirty air filter makes a heating system work harder, which uses more energy.

*Have the HVAC system checked regularly by a qualified heating and air conditioning contractor to maintain efficiency and peak performance. Duke Energy offers qualified customers rebates to help offset the cost of replacing older HVAC units with more energy efficient ones.

*Leave drapes or blinds open during sunny winter days to allow the sun’s rays to warm the house, but close them at night to help insulate your home.

*Replace standard bulbs with compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs or light emitting diodes (LED). CFLs and LEDs are more efficient than regular bulbs, while giving off the same amount of light. Visit Duke Energy’s online store for free and discounted bulbs: duke-energy.com/deals.

*Consider using the cold water setting when doing laundry. And, turn off the “pre-rinse” option in favor of rinsing your dishes before loading them into the dishwasher.

*Operate ceiling fans in a clockwise direction, which pushes warm air back down into the room.

Click here to watch a video on five ways to save energy under $50.

Power Outages

Customers who experience power outages should call Duke Energy’s automated outage-reporting system:

*Duke Energy Ohio and Kentucky: 1.800.543.5599

Customers may also report an outage or view current outages online at www.duke-energy.com/outages or text OUT to 57801.

With the colder than normal temperatures, it also a good time to check on friends, neighbors and family members who may be elderly to ensure they have what they need to stay warm and that their emergency kits are ready in the event of an emergency.

Ways to manage winter heating bills

Duke Energy offers many free programs and tools to help customers better understand and manage their monthly energy expenses.

Budget Billing gives customers better control over their energy spending by establishing predictable monthly payments.

*The company sends High Bill Alerts to customers when adverse weather may lead to a significant increase in energy costs.

You can learn more at: https://www.duke-energy.com/home/billing

Energy assistance programs

Duke Energy offers programs across its service areas that provide financial support to local assistance agencies to help customers with their winter heating costs. Program information is available at: https://www.duke-energy.com/home/billing/special-assistance.

Duke Energy Ohio/Kentucky’s operations provide electric service to about 850,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers in a 3,000-square-mile service area and natural gas service to approximately 529,000 customers.

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