Duke Energy offers $200,000 in grants to help South Carolina seniors make critical home improvements

• Repairs and improvements address the safety of seniors' homes
• Qualifying organizations that help seniors make the home improvements have until the end of October to apply for grants of up to $25,000

GREENVILLE, S.C., Sept. 13, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Duke Energy today launched a campaign to promote grant opportunities totaling $200,000 to South Carolina organizations that help seniors make needed home repairs and improvements.

Duke Energy's Senior Home Repair Program offers qualifying nonprofits the opportunity to apply for grants of up to $25,000 geared toward critical health and safety home improvements that enable senior citizens to continue to enjoy life in their current homes.

The grant application process is open through the end of October.

"South Carolina's senior population should never have to decide between basic necessities and living out their lives in safety in their own home," said Mike Callahan, Duke Energy's South Carolina state president. "A simple home repair or safety improvement can be the big difference."

Grant opportunities may cover needs for an individual home or multiple homes, reflecting the needs and mission of the applying nonprofit. Home improvement efforts must be for homes located in Duke Energy's South Carolina service territory.

Grant uses can include installing safety handrails in bathrooms, replacing rotting floors, installing handicap ramps and repairing unsafe steps. Grant funding cannot be used for weatherization, energy efficiency upgrades, or solar products and equipment.

This program amplifies the company's expanded focus on affordability that also includes a volunteerism component. Duke Energy employees are volunteering more than 1,300 hours to support these efforts, working on projects such as one occurring today in Spartanburg with the nonprofit Rebuilding Together.

Duke Energy Foundation

The Duke Energy Foundation provides more than $30 million annually in philanthropic support to meet the needs of communities where Duke Energy customers live and work. The foundation is funded by Duke Energy shareholders.

Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America's largest energy holding companies. Its electric utilities serve 8.2 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 50,000 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas unit serves 1.6 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. The company employs 27,600 people.

Duke Energy is executing an aggressive clean energy transition to achieve its goals of net-zero methane emissions from its natural gas business by 2030 and net-zero carbon emissions from electricity generation by 2050. The company has interim carbon emission targets of at least 50% reduction from electric generation by 2030, 50% for Scope 2 and certain Scope 3 upstream and downstream emissions by 2035, and 80% from electric generation by 2040. In addition, the company is investing in major electric grid enhancements and energy storage, and exploring zero-emission power generation technologies such as hydrogen and advanced nuclear. 

Duke Energy was named to Fortune's 2023 "World's Most Admired Companies" list and Forbes' "World's Best Employers" list. More information is available at duke-energy.com. The Duke Energy News Center contains news releases, fact sheets, photos and videos. Duke Energy's illumination features stories about people, innovations, community topics and environmental issues. Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

Contact: Ryan Mosier
24-Hour: 800.559.3853 

SOURCE Duke Energy