Want Lower Light Bills? Progress Energy Wants To Help

SEBRING - Some Sebring residents could save up to $150 per year on their energy bills and help out the environment by taking advantage of Progress Energy Florida's Neighborhood Energy Saver program.

The program assists families in low-income neighborhoods with escalating energy costs by implementing electric conservation measures at no cost to the customer. The target area, which has been identified with help from the Department of Community Affairs guidelines, includes much of downtown Sebring and the Washington Heights neighborhood.

The program will have an official kickoff Tuesday at 11 a.m. at the Sebring Boys and Girls Club, located at 111 Martin Luther King Blvd. Progress Energy officials will present information about the program to residents.

Jerry Miller, spokesman for Progress Energy, said Sebring is the first city in the region where Progress Energy is offering the program.

"With the Sebring Rider finally going away, we wanted to bring this program here to help people save money," Miller said.

A pilot program in the Palmetto Park neighborhood of St. Petersburg helped residents of 175 homes and apartments install energy-efficient measures.

The Neighborhood Energy Saver program will not only install energy-efficiency improvements in homes but also will educate families on reducing energy use and saving money.

"We want to help customers make behavior changes within their family, so this is not just a one-time savings," Miller said. "They will save for months and years to come."

The project will make improvements at no cost to participants, including compact fluorescent lighting, water-heater wraps and insulation for water pipes, water conservation shower heads and faucets, refrigerator-coil cleaning and brush, a year's supply of air filters and additional weatherization measures.

Miller said Progress Energy contractors have been passing out literature to customers and will be going door to door to remind residents about the program and invite them to Tuesday's event.

Contractors will spend about seven weeks in the area and about 60 to 90 minutes in each participating resident's house to do an evaluation and install energy-savings devices.

Bud Whitlock said he thinks this program will be beneficial to residents.

"This is quite a good deal that Progress Energy is going through to help the ones who need help," Whitlock said. "It is costing Progress Energy money and is costing the residents nothing."

Progress Energy also offers free energy inspections to all customers, during which a Progress Energy representative surveys the home's efficiency and provides energy-saving recommendations. The products are not offered free through the energy inspection like they are for the Neighborhood Energy Saver program.