Dangerous heat was bearing down on central Indiana.
With temperatures lingering in the 90s, and heat indexes approaching 100, leaders at Johnson County Senior Services knew older adults throughout the area would be hurting. Seniors are more vulnerable to extreme heat, and many of those living in the county do not have air conditioning in their homes, said Kimberly Smith, executive director of the senior services agency.
“Anyone over 65 is more susceptible to heat exhaustion. Their bodies aren’t able to adjust as quickly to sudden changes in the temperature,” she said. “It’s also a high risk for seniors on certain types of medications and on oxygen. So there are a lot of reasons why it’s so important to keep our seniors cool and hydrated.”
Smith knew they had to do something to help. A lifeline came through right when they needed it.
The Duke Energy Foundation, the philanthropic branch of the company that provides more than $2 million in charitable grants each year in the communities where Duke Energy operates, reached out offering grant money to buy fans for seniors. Using $2,500, Johnson County Senior Services was able to buy 96 fans for seniors in need. Another $2,500 is being used to buy food to distribute to seniors as well.
The effort is just one way to serve one of the county’s most vulnerable populations during a difficult period, Smith said.
“Any time we can do anything for our seniors is a huge blessing. It doesn’t have to fall into the realm of our original programs — transportation, delivering medical equipment, delivering food and all those other things we do,” she said. “We’re available to do whatever they need, however that looks like.”
The warehouse at Johnson County Senior Services crackled with activity Friday morning, as people counted out box fans and produce for senior communities around the county. Volunteers from the Greenwood Century 21 Scheetz office had gone to the Lowe’s store in Franklin to pick the devices up after Smith had arranged with the store to buy 96 for their clients.
Armed with a list of seniors in need, Smith and the volunteers sorted the fans to distribute. Twenty would be going to residents living in the Country Charm senior living community in Greenwood. Another 20 would be passed out at Northwood Place in Franklin. Fans were set to go all over the county.
The group also assembled deliveries of food and water to go with the fans — a life-saving bundle to help them survive the heat.
“We love giving back. That is our goal; our mission is to give back to the communities we serve. That’s a pillar of our organization,” said Lori Crowley, a real estate agent at Century 21 Scheetz in Greenwood.
As forecasts called for a heat wave to smother the county this week, leaders at Duke Energy discussed ways to relieve customers struggling throughout the area.
“As an energy company, we continuously look at weather patterns to see what is coming,” Renk said. “We knew this hot weather pattern was coming, and we knew people would be impacted.”
The Duke Energy Foundation took up the cause, as officials brainstormed how to help customers who might be struggling.
Air conditioning is a luxury for many people, and in a heat wave, lack of it becomes dangerous, Renk said.
“If we can at least get some help to them to move the air so it becomes more bearable, how could we do that?” she said.
Renk, who has worked closely with Johnson County Senior Services in the past, contacted Smith.
“We’ve been community partners for a long time. She reached out because obviously they keep track of what’s coming up with weather, and safe and unsafe things for the seniors,” Smith said. “She asked if we had seniors with a need for fans, and I told them seniors have needs of all kinds, especially during heat.”
The pair discussed a potential grant, and Renk suggested Smith write up a proposal to fund the purchase of fans.
With the funding available, Smith would be able to buy 96 fans for seniors. She went to work ensuring local stores had that number in stock, as well as identifying seniors who are part of the federal housing assistance program known as Section 8.
“I started calling Section 8 senior living communities to find seniors in need. Within the first five calls, we had already found 82 that needed fans,” Smith said. “It was that fast.”
By Thursday afternoon, the entire project was funded and the fans had been paid for. Volunteers picked up the fans on Friday, planned when and how to drop them off, and made their deliveries.
“This was one of those opportunities where we could jump in and get this done quickly for them,” Smith said.
For Renk and the leadership at Duke Energy, the opportunity to help low-income residents in the area was a must. In addition to providing the grant to Johnson County Senior Services, the Duke Energy Foundation also gave a $1,000 grant to the Interchurch Food Pantry to purchase fans for its clients who need them.
“These are our customers. As any business would say, we want to help our customers,” Renk said.
Saving on summer energy bills
Duke Energy offers a variety of assistance programs to help customers save energy and summer during the hottest part of the summer.
Energy Efficiency
Energy efficiency assistance can range from simple conservation tips to a number of programs to help customers use less energy. They include:
Usage Alerts — Customers with smart meters who have an email registered with Duke Energy can receive daily or mid-bill cycle alerts that show current energy use and a projection of that month’s bill at the current rate of usage.
Power Manager — A voluntary program that offers customers financial incentives to allow Duke Energy to make minor adjustments to their thermostats or reduce the run time of their HVAC systems during peak electric demand periods.
Home audits — Sign up for a free in-home energy efficiency assessment. An energy expert will detail ways to increase efficiency and lower energy use and leave behind a free kit with energy-saving products valued at over $180.
Billing and Payment Options
For customers who need additional flexibility in how they manage their bills, Duke Energy offers the following options:
Budget Billing — For those who prefer one predictable payment every month, this program takes the swing out of seasonal energy bills with an average amount that’s periodically reviewed and adjusted.
Pick Your Due Date — Great for those on a fixed income or for customers who like to manage personal finances once a month, this option allows customers to select their bill due date.
Installment Payment Plans — Allows more flexibility to pay a past-due balance over a longer period, interest-free. Customers can request a few extra days or restructure the past-due balance into a monthly payment plan.
Income-Qualified Programs
Duke Energy partners with community and state agencies to help those who are income qualified to access a range of Duke Energy, state and federal assistance programs. Examples include:
The Weatherization Program — Helps income-qualified customers save energy and reduce expenses through energy conservation measures like weatherstripping and HVAC repairs or replacements.
The Share the Light Fund — Assists qualifying customers struggling to pay their energy bills.
For more information on programs available, customers can visit duke-energy.com or call 800.521.2232
— Information from Duke Energy
