logo
Duke Energy increases financial incentives for customer energy efficiency and demand response programs in South Carolina

Duke Energy increases financial incentives for customer energy efficiency and demand response programs in South Carolina

Yahooa day ago
Growing menu of options offers customers more savings and better control over how they use their energy
Some incentives have doubled or even tripled
GREENVILLE, S.C., Aug. 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Duke Energy has increased incentives and eligibility for many of its residential and business energy efficiency and demand response programs in South Carolina, expanding ways customers can save energy and money. The updates were approved by the Public Service Commission of South Carolina (PSCSC) and launched on Aug. 1, 2025.
"Some of our program incentives have doubled – or even tripled – making now an even more rewarding time to make energy efficiency improvements or enroll in programs at your home or business to help save," said Tim Pearson, Duke Energy's South Carolina president. "With the recent enactment of the S.C. Energy Security act, our state's leaders have also signaled the importance of these types of programs and offered a roadmap for us to potentially expand similar offerings in the future."
Enhancements for residential customers
Why it matters: Customers can better manage their energy use and save energy and money with energy efficiency programs. Through demand response programs, customers can receive bill credits when they choose to shift their use to lower energy demand periods.
Free home energy assessment: Now includes customized free energy efficiency products like smart power strips, efficient showerheads and caulking, installed during the Home Energy House Call.
Home improvement rebates: Expanded rebates for various energy-efficient upgrades, including insulation, water heaters and smart thermostats through Smart $aver®.
Earn bill credits: Increased bill credits for shifting energy use, with new incentives for electric water heater owners through Power Manager® and EnergyWise Home®.
For more information on all residential programs, visit the Duke Energy website.
Business customer benefits
Increased incentives: Duke Energy has also increased energy efficiency and demand response incentives for business customers.
PowerShare®, a voluntary large customer load curtailment program, has increased capacity credits from $3.50 to $5 per kW for decreasing energy use in certain program options.
EnergyWise Business, a program similar to PowerShare and EnergyWise Home but for business customers, has increased customer incentives.
Additionally, many of the company's energy efficiency business program incentive amounts have increased on average 20%-25%. For more information on business programs and increased incentives, visit duke-energy.com/GetSavings.
Assistance programs
Expanded offerings: Programs and services for Duke Energy qualifying customers have also been updated for 2025 to offer more options for energy savings for those who need it most.
Customers struggling to pay their energy bills might qualify for assistance from various government and nonprofit programs for utility bills and other household expenses.
Duke Energy offers programs and resources to help customers manage their usage as well as flexible payment arrangements to help customers experiencing uncertainty, to include flexible payment options including the Share the Light Fund®, a Duke Energy program that provides energy assistance.
To learn more about these programs, visit duke-energy.com/SummerSavings.
Duke Energy
Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America's largest energy holding companies. The company's electric utilities serve 8.4 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 54,800 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas utilities serve 1.7 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky.
Duke Energy is executing an ambitious clean energy transition, keeping reliability, affordability and accessibility at the forefront as the company works toward net-zero methane emissions from its natural gas business by 2030 and net-zero carbon emissions from electricity generation by 2050. The company is investing in major electric grid upgrades and cleaner generation, including expanded energy storage, renewables, natural gas and nuclear.
More information is available at duke-energy.com and the Duke Energy News Center. Follow Duke Energy on X, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook, and visit illumination for stories about the people and innovations powering our energy transition.
24-Hour: 800.559.3853
View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/duke-energy-increases-financial-incentives-for-customer-energy-efficiency-and-demand-response-programs-in-south-carolina-302520806.html
SOURCE Duke Energy
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Trump narrows Fed chair candidates to four, excluding Treasury Secretary Bessent
Trump narrows Fed chair candidates to four, excluding Treasury Secretary Bessent

Associated Press

time3 minutes ago

  • Associated Press

Trump narrows Fed chair candidates to four, excluding Treasury Secretary Bessent

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he's whittled down his list of potential Federal Reserve chair candidates to four as he considers a successor to Jerome Powell — a choice that could reset the path of the U.S. economy. Asked on CNBC's 'Squawk Box' for a future replacement to Powell, Trump named Kevin Hassett, director of the National Economic Council, and Kevin Warsh, a former member of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors. 'I think Kevin and Kevin, both Kevins, are very good,' Trump said during an interview on CNBC's 'Squawk Box.' He said two other people were also under consideration, but Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is not among them. 'I love Scott, but he wants to stay where he is,' Trump said. He did not name his other two top candidates but used the opportunity to disparage Powell, whom he has dubbed 'too late' in cutting interest rates. The news that Trump plans to make a decision on the Fed chair 'soon' comes as the Republican president has been highly critical of current Powell, whose term ends in May 2026. Trump recently floated having the Fed's board of governors take full control of the U.S. central bank from Powell, whom he has relentlessly pressured to cut short-term interest rates in ways that raise questions about whether the Fed can remain free from White House politicking. Trump has openly mused about whether to remove Powell before his tenure as chair ends, but he's held off on dismissing the Fed chair after a recent Supreme Court ruling suggested he could only do so for cause rather than out of policy disagreements. The president has put pressure on Powell by claiming he mismanaged the Fed's $2.5 billion renovation project, but he's also said that he's 'highly unlikely' to fire Powell. One of the Fed's governors, Adriana Kugler, made a surprise announcement last Friday that she would be stepping away from her role. That created an opening for Trump, who called her departure 'a pleasant surprise,' to name a new Fed governor. Trump told CNBC it's 'a possibility' that his pick to replace Kugler could also be his choice to replace Powell. Here's what to know about the two known candidates: Kevin Hassett Hassett, director of the White House National Economic Council, has been supportive of the president's agenda — from his advocacy for income tax cuts and tariffs to his support of the recent firing of BLS Commissioner Erika McEntarfer. Hassett served in the first Trump administration as chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers. He has a doctoral degree in economics from the University of Pennsylvania and worked at the right-leaning American Enterprise Institute before joining the Trump White House in 2017. As part of Hassett's farewell announcement in 2019, Trump called him a 'true friend' who did a 'great job.' Hassett became a fellow at the Hoover Institution, which is located at Stanford University. He later returned to the administration to help deal with the pandemic. On CNBC on Monday, Hassett said 'all over the U.S. government, there have been people who have been resisting Trump everywhere they can.' Kevin Warsh A former Fed governor who stepped down in 2011, Warsh is currently a fellow at the Hoover Institution. He has been supportive of cutting interest rates, a key goal of Trump's. 'The president's right to be frustrated with Jay Powell and the Federal Reserve,' Warsh said on Fox News' 'Sunday Morning Futures' last month. Warsh has been increasingly critical of Powell's Federal Reserve and in July, on CNBC, called for sweeping changes on how the Fed conducts business as well as a new Treasury-Fed accord 'like we did in 1951, after another period where we built up our nation's debt and we were stuck with a central bank that was working at cross purposes with the Treasury.' He said the Fed's 'hesitancy to cut rates, I think, is actually quite a mark against them.' 'The specter of the miss they made on inflation' after the pandemic, he said, 'it has stuck with them. So one of the reasons why the president, I think, is right to be pushing the Fed publicly is we need regime change in the conduct of policy.' 'He's very highly thought of,' Trump said in June when asked directly about Warsh. ___ Associated Press writers Josh Boak and Christopher Rugaber in Washington contributed to this report.

Was This Summer's Healthy Job Market A Mirage?
Was This Summer's Healthy Job Market A Mirage?

Forbes

time3 minutes ago

  • Forbes

Was This Summer's Healthy Job Market A Mirage?

This is a published version of Forbes' Careers Newsletter. Click here to subscribe and get it in your inbox every Tuesday. After two months of seemingly healthy growth in the job market, the American workforce grew slower than expected in July. Only 73,000 nonfarm jobs were created last month, a dismal showing compared to the 115,000 analysts expected, while unemployment rose slightly to 4.2%. But that's not all: The Labor Department and the Bureau of Labor Statistics—the government bodies charged with producing the monthly jobs report—revised their estimates for May and June employment down by 258,000 jobs in total. And it's not just a lack of new jobs hurting the U.S. labor market. Job cuts this year have already surpassed all of 2024, according to career services firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas. Private and public employers have eliminated 806,000 jobs in the first six months of the year, largely driven by DOGE cuts to federal agencies and grants, concerns about President Donald Trump's tariffs and yes, AI. The disappointing labor report sent waves through Wall Street and the White House. Trump went as far as firing BLS commissioner Erika McEntarfer, a Biden-era appointee, in a move that has been criticized by many, including former Trump-era BLS chief William Beach. So what does all of this mean for those still looking for a new job? It's important to recognize the industries that are still adding jobs, like health care and social assistance. But for those working outside those fields, senior contributor Caroline Castrillon recommends seeking out contract work while you broaden your skills and network for full-time opportunities. Happy reading, and hope you have a lovely week! WORK SMARTER Practical insights and advice from Forbes staff and contributors to help you succeed in your job, accelerate your career and lead smarter. AI hiring tools can overlook top talent—here's how hiring managers can make sure they're still finding the best candidates. ChatGPT is coming for Excel. What does this mean for your job? Heads up, introverts: This is how AI can help you stand out to your boss. DEEP DIVE: Should You Scrub Your Social Media Before Beginning Your Job Hunt? Between the Trump Administration declaring private accounts a red flag for foreign student visas and prospective employers using AI to seek out fake applicants, the old rules are becoming obsolete. Forbes' Fiona Riley and I spoke to university counselors, employment lawyers and startup founders to figure out what job seekers should do. For years, the advice to graduates and job seekers when it came to their social media presence was straightforward: Delete your personal accounts or at least make them private, and work on building a professional LinkedIn network. But following that advice today could hurt your job prospects. The State Department now requires international students to make their accounts public to allow a review of their 'entire online presence.' Not only is content or activity that is 'hostile' to the U.S. government or culture worthy of a red flag, but even the absence of social media accounts could be held up against a visa applicant, as it could be viewed as a possible effort to evade scrutiny of their true views. 'You're damned if you do post, damned if you don't,' one international student who requested anonymity because she fears undermining her own immigration status tells Forbes. U.S.-born students and job seekers have reason to worry, too, as a lack of a social media presence can also hurt during verification processes. Employers are increasingly dealing with an influx of fake candidates, aided by the rise of AI. The technology is now so advanced that a novice AI user can create a fake applicant profile—social media pages and all—in just 70 minutes. So it makes sense that many employers are turning to pre-screening tools that use publicly available information to verify an applicant's authenticity. So is the new advice to post or not to post? To scrub your page or to leave it as is? It's a tough balancing act, especially when your online professional presence—like your LinkedIn profile—and personal brand can be more important than your résumé. Read the full piece for more tips here. TOUCH BASE News from the world of work. Boeing defense workers are on strike for the first time since 1996 after the union rejected the company's latest contract offer. The 3,200 unionized employees walked out of Boeing's factories in St. Louis and St. Charles, Missouri and Mascoutah, Illinois, where they assemble crucial missile systems and aircrafts, including the F-15 and F/A-18. Behind athletes' multimillion dollar paydays are the agents negotiating player contracts, brand partnerships and additional deals—all for a hefty cut. Topping Forbes' ranking of the Most Powerful Sports Agents in North America for 2025 is Scott Boras, who negotiated Juan Soto's contract with the New York Mets. Boras is set to earn $244 million in player commissions on nearly $5 billion in active player contracts. Meta has reached a new high in its bid to recruit top talent for its AI lab. According to Wired, one offer to an employee at Thinking Machines Lab, the startup founded by former OpenAI CEO Mira Murati, included a billion-dollar compensation package spread over a multi-year plan. Meta, however, has denied the staggering number. A new AP poll found that fewer Americans perceive racial discrimination against Asian and Black Americans than in 2021. The poll also found that more Americans are skeptical of DEI policies and programs, which have been targeted by the Trump Administration. NUMBER TO NOTE 154,000 VIDEO Venture Capitalist's Advice To Young Workers: Slow Down QUIZ As President Trump considers a replacement for Fed Chair Jerome Powell, whose term is not up until May 2026, which current cabinet member is no longer on the shortlist? A. Vice President JD Vance B. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick C. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent D. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy Check if you got it right here.

Denver Board Of Ethics investigating flight prices at Denver International Airport
Denver Board Of Ethics investigating flight prices at Denver International Airport

CBS News

time3 minutes ago

  • CBS News

Denver Board Of Ethics investigating flight prices at Denver International Airport

Denver's independent Board of Ethics is investigating the purchase of business and first-class tickets this past April for nine Denver International Airport executives to fly to a conference in Madrid, according to three sources aware of the ongoing investigation. The probe was sparked by a CBS News Colorado investigation in May that revealed the airport spent as much as $19,000 for one of its executives to fly to the three-day conference. Another ticket cost about $16,000. All of the executives flew either business class or first class to the conference and back to Denver. "Our policy allows us to do that," said Denver International Airport CEO Phil Washington. Travel websites showed round-trip tickets from Denver to Madrid cost as little as $1,300, and upgraded seats in premium economy sold for about $3,000. "Those costs may seem high," said Washington, but, he said, "they are an investment in our people. We sent who we sent, and they are going to pay dividends as we build out this infrastructure." But the spending elicited widespread criticism, which made its way to the Board of Ethics, according to CBS Colorado sources, who said the board was querying whether the spending amounted to using public money for private gain. Lori Weiser, the executive director for the Board of Ethics, said she could not comment on any board investigations. "The Denver Code of Ethics prohibits public disclosure of any complaint that has been received," wrote Weiser, "until it passes through a screening process, and an investigation process, if the Board requests investigation." In 2024, the board received 78 cases and issued 13 advisory opinions. Washington did not provide any comment about the ethics investigation. His own employees raised ethical concerns about the trip, saying it created a "rift" between executives and lower-level employees. The CBS Colorado report prompted Washington and his staff to reevaluate airport employees' travel policy. On Aug. 1, the airport completed an updated travel policy that addressed some of the issues spotlighted in the original CBS Colorado investigation. A spokesperson for Washington said he "doesn't have anything to add" regarding the new travel policy. The total cost of the Madrid trip was about $165,000 and was paid for out of Denver International Airport revenues, which are derived from what passengers pay for concessions, parking fees, rental car revenues, and other user fees.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store