Duke Energy and its Foundation have provided more than $2 million since last year to support community agencies dedicated to providing relief to customers.

"Whether it's from rising costs and inflation, devastation from last year's back-to-back hurricanes or lingering effects from the pandemic, many households must make difficult decisions when it comes to paying their bills," said Melissa Seixas, Duke Energy Florida state president.

"Working with local agencies allows us to connect our customers with available assistance, programs and tools to help them get through this time of continued economic hardship."

Supporting Local Communities

Funded by Duke Energy shareholders, the newest giving includes grants from the Duke Energy Foundation to support local and statewide agencies that provide assistance with:

• Housing.

• Food.

• Utility bills.

• Other essentials.

The grants include $75,000 to Rebuilding Together in Central Florida, North Central Florida, and Tampa Bay, as well as $100,000 to Feeding Florida.

The $75,000 grant for Rebuilding Together will be split between the agency's Central Florida, North Central Florida, and Tampa Bay divisions and assist Duke Energy customers impacted by Hurricane Ian.

Duke Energy continues to support its customers, connecting them with available assistance and offering tools and resources to help them manage higher bills.

Since last year, Duke Energy contributed $732,000 to Florida-based assistance programs to help customers cover household expenses. In addition, more than $1 million in energy bill assistance was distributed to customers through the company's Share the Light Fund in 2022.

Along with helping the communities, Duke Energy also is electrifying its fleet to improve sustainability. It recently announced it will build a first-of-its-kind performance center that will model and accelerate the development, testing, and deployment of EV fleets.