Duke Energy Adding $600,000 to Program that will Help Additional South Carolina Families Pay High Seasonal Energy Bills
Staff Report From South Carolina CEO
Thursday, September 6th, 2018
For 33 years, Duke Energy has partnered with employees and customers to lend a hand to those struggling to pay their energy bills. The company is reinforcing that commitment with an additional $600,000 contribution to its Share the Warmth program to help South Carolina customers pay their high seasonal energy bills.
Through the Share the Warmth program, the company works with more than 80 local agencies in the Duke Energy Carolinas service territory to aid qualified senior citizens, families and other customers with financial assistance. The company annually matches up to $500,000 in employee and customer contributions during the heating season.
"We are committed to providing affordable energy to all of our customers, but we know some struggle to keep their homes warm during the winter and cool during the summer," said Kodwo Ghartey-Tagoe, Duke Energy's South Carolina president. "Traditionally, more customers have sought assistance with high energy bills in the winter, but these funds are being made available now to also assist with high summer energy bills."
The program is administered through local partner agencies in the Duke Energy Carolinas service territory, which primarily serves customers in the Upstate of South Carolina. Since the program's establishment in 1985, it has provided more than $35 million to those in need. Duke Energy offers similar energy assistance programs across all of its service territories.
"We are very thankful for our 30 year partnership with Duke Energy," said Kristi King-Brock, the executive director for AIM, a Share the Warmth partner agency in Anderson, S.C. "Their continued support of our work – and the infusion of these much needed funds – will allow AIM to respond to the basic needs of even more families in our community by providing energy assistance."
"Each winter, families in poverty have to try to balance their meager budgets between feeding their families and keeping them warm as temperatures drop," said Traci Kennedy, director of TOTAL Ministries, a Share the Warmth partner agency in Spartanburg, S.C. "With these funds, Spartanburg families can keep warm and feed their families in the colder months."