More than $300,000 in financial assistance is available to Duke Energy Indiana customers who may be struggling to pay their energy bills.
The funding is made possible through Duke Energy’s Share the Light Fund, which brings together customers and communities to help individuals and families in need. Qualifying Duke Energy customers can receive up to a $300 credit annually on their account.
Over the last five years, Duke Energy has supported more than 12,000 Indiana households with more than $3 million in energy bill assistance.
The company works in partnership with the Indiana Community Action Association to distribute assistance funds. Customers should contact their local community action agency to see if they are eligible.
In Jackson County, that agency is Human Services Inc., 1115 E. Oak St., Seymour. The office is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and the phone number is 812-522-8718. You also may visit the Human Services website at hsi-indiana.com.
Customers interested in helping their neighbors in need will soon be able to easily make a donation to the Share the Light Fund by rounding up their monthly bill amount to the nearest dollar.
In an effort to expand support for low-income customers, Duke Energy Indiana also will begin reducing the security deposit amount for customers eligible for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program. In addition, when Indiana’s winter disconnection moratorium ended March 15, LIHEAP-qualified customers carrying a past-due balance will be auto-enrolled in a special extended installment plan.
These new measures are the latest steps in a companywide effort to pair long-standing programs with creative new approaches to assist customers and communities in need.
During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Duke Energy stood up a dedicated team to work in collaboration with government agencies at the state and federal levels to increase customer assistance and expand participation in energy efficiency programs and services. This work includes proactive engagement to educate customers of their eligibility for LIHEAP dollars to help offset energy bills.
Duke Energy offers a number of other tools and resources to help customers take control of their energy use and save money. To learn more about these programs, visit duke-energy.com/HereToHelp.
Duke Energy Indiana, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, provides about 6,300 megawatts of owned electric capacity to approximately 890,000 customers in a 23,000-square-mile service area.