Any savings on monthly bills can make a huge difference in the lives of those living paycheck-to-paycheck. Brunswick County is amping up a program to help Duke Energy Progress customers increase the energy efficiency of their homes.
Last year, Duke Energy Progress distributed over five million dollars across North Carolina to help low-income customers. It was part of the merger agreement between Progress and Duke. More than fifty thousand dollars went to Brunswick County last year. And while the funds will expire in 2016, Brunswick County has only used about five thousand. And that’s why Catherine Lytch, Director of Social Services, says she’s eager for low-income homeowners to apply for funding for energy efficiency home improvements:
"We’ve received about thirty inquiries so far. A lot of the inquiries we’ve received are from people that have Brunswick Electric, and it has to be used on individuals who receive their power through Duke Energy Progress. When they contact us, we do interviews and talk about the home repair that they need that’s related to home energy consumption and then ask them to go ahead and get three quotes."
Eligible projects include repairing or replacing heating and air conditioning systems, weatherization, or underpinning for mobile homes. As in New Hanover and Pender, the funding can also be used to help some customers pay their electric bills to avoid disconnection fees.