- Company met, in many cases exceeded, estimated times of
restoration for Pinellas County's barrier island
customers
- As potential storm approaches, crews prepare to respond to any
impacts
ST.
PETERSBURG, Fla., Oct. 5, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- Today, Duke Energy Florida completed restoration
efforts for all customers in Pinellas
County's barrier islands who are capable of receiving power
after Hurricane Helene – meeting, and in many cases exceeding,
estimated times of restoration.
Through close collaboration with local municipalities, emergency
operations centers and first responders, the company has now
completed restoration of approximately 800,000 storm-related power
outages across the state.
"I'm extremely grateful for our crews' dedication, our
customers' patience and our communities' willingness to work
together," said Melissa Seixas, Duke
Energy Florida state president. "We know this is just the beginning
of a long recovery process, and we will continue to offer resources
and support to those who need it in the days, weeks and months
ahead."
Duke Energy Florida has mobilized customer care units, where
company representatives will be on-site to answer questions and
provide account assistance. There will be a location open
Sunday, Oct. 6 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Madeira Beach City Hall (300
Municipal Drive, Madeira Beach, FL
33708).
As customers begin to repair and rebuild their homes and
businesses, the company will be ready to respond, reconnect power
and help restore the vitality of impacted communities.
Customers who have damage to the electrical service that serves
their homes or businesses should contact Duke Energy Florida. Those
who currently cannot receive power due to damage to the property's
meter base, breaker panel or customer-owned electrical wiring
should contact their local municipalities for guidance. Inspections
may be required after repairs are complete.
Additionally, the company reminds customers to be vigilant, stay
informed and guard their personal information, as scams and
fraud are rampant after storms. The company will never
threaten immediate disconnection, demand payment information over
the phone or ask customers to get a "Green Dot" or prepaid credit
card. For more information and helpful tips, please
click here.
Customers who need assistance paying their utility bills can
learn more about programs that may be available to help by visiting
duke-energy.com/HereToHelp or calling 800.700.8744.
Tropical Storm Milton
Duke Energy Florida is closely monitoring Tropical Storm Milton,
which is expected to strengthen in the coming days.
Crews are prepared to respond should we experience any impacts.
We ask customers to remain vigilant as the storm approaches
Florida's coast.
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 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.
Contact: Ana Gibbs
24-Hour: 800.559.3853
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SOURCE Duke Energy