Duke Energy encourages customers to take control of their energy usage and save money as cold spell arrives in Florida this weekend

• Extreme weather will cause heating systems to work harder and energy use to rise

• Duke Energy offers resources to help customers save on their bills

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Floridians can expect the arrival of the coldest air in the state in just under a decade this weekend - potentially 20-25 degrees below the average temperature for this time of year. Rivaling cold spells like that of January 2010, the extreme weather will cause heating systems to work harder to keep homes and businesses comfortable. As energy use rises, Duke Energy encourages customers to take advantage of easy-to-join programs and simple solutions to maximize savings on their bills.

"Duke Energy's team of meteorologists tells us the Sunshine State is in for a bit of a shock this weekend - here in St. Petersburg, where our headquarters have been for more than 125 years, we could see temperatures below freezing for the first time since 2018," said Melissa Seixas, Duke Energy Florida state president. "While we're fully prepared to manage the increased energy consumption we know will come from this cold spell, we hope all of our customers, from the panhandle down to Highlands County, will utilize the resources we offer to take control of their own usage and save money."

Easy-to-join programs to take advantage of immediately:

Simple solutions to maximize savings:

• Set the thermostat to the lowest comfortable setting.

• Change air filters regularly for better efficiency.

• Caulk, seal and weatherstrip air leaks in windows, doors and vents to keep warm air inside.

• Operate ceiling fans clockwise to push warm air down and turn them off when leaving a room.

• Open blinds and curtains during the day, letting the sun heat the home, and close them at night to insulate the home.

Duke Energy also offers Usage Alerts so customers can keep track of their energy usage and make adjustments before their bills arrive.

For more information, please visit duke-energy.com/SeasonalSavings.

Duke Energy Florida

Duke Energy Florida, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, owns 12,300 megawatts of energy capacity, supplying electricity to 2 million residential, commercial and industrial customers across a 13,000-square-mile service area in Florida.

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 energy transition, keeping customer reliability and value at the forefront as it builds a smarter energy future. The company is investing in major electric grid upgrades and cleaner generation, including natural gas, nuclear, renewables and energy storage.

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.

Contact: Aly Raschid
24-Hour: 800.559.3853
X: @DE_AlyRaschid