Dominion Energy and Its Partners Touch Lives of 800,000 Virginians with EnergyShare

RICHMOND, Va., Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Dominion Energy has helped more than 800,000 individuals and families in Virginia since 1982 by providing bill assistance and, more recently, by making homes more energy efficient with its EnergyShare program. This year marks the 35^th anniversary of EnergyShare, the company's year-round cooling and heating assistance program.  

"Of the many ways Dominion Energy supports communities, the closest to my heart is EnergyShare," said Robert M. Blue, President & CEO – Power Delivery Group. "Over three decades, the program has helped hundreds of thousands struggling to pay for essential heating and cooling. EnergyShare is a critical program that has expanded over time to help more people make their homes energy efficient, comfortable and affordable."

While EnergyShare has provided energy assistance to low-income and elderly Virginians for decades, in 2015 the program got a significant boost when Dominion Energy pledged $42 million to expand its scope to reach and help more Virginians. The initiative to expand EnergyShare was part of Senate Bill 1349 and an executive directive by Gov. Terry McAuliffe.

Since then, the company has partnered with many human services agencies and non-profit organizations to ramp up outreach and weatherization of homes. More than 18,800 homes have been weatherized and nearly 35,000 people have received assistance, including about 2,100 veterans and 2,300 individuals living with disabilities.

In addition, Dominion Energy has hosted more than 700 community outreach events to share practical tips on making wise energy decisions. By changing consumption habits and adding energy-efficiency measures, recent participants have reduced energy usage by 7.5 percent on average.

"We could not have reached these milestones without the steadfast support of our partners," said Blue. "We now work with nearly 100 intake agencies and other partners to provide this assistance."

Several of those partnering agencies were recently recognized by Dominion Energy for their outstanding and long-term support of EnergyShare. The United Way of Greater Richmond & Petersburg and the Salvation Army were each presented with a Sustaining Partner award for their roles in establishing and administering this program over three and a half decades.

The company also honored three state agencies for their expertise and guidance in helping vulnerable populations, including veterans, the elderly and people struggling with homelessness and disabilities. The Virginia Dept. for Aging and Rehabilitative Services, the Virginia Dept. for Veterans Services and the Virginia Dept. of Housing and Community Development each received an Eva Teig Hardy Community Transformation Award. As an executive at Dominion Energy, Hardy championed the EnergyShare program for many years.

EnergyShare began on a small scale in 1982 to help people in the Hampton Roads area experiencing a personal or financial crisis pay their heating bills. Over time, it has grown to provide energy assistance to residents in Virginia, North Carolina and Ohio for whatever main source of fuel is used to heat or cool homes.

By providing help when it's needed the most, EnergyShare can alleviate the pressure of mounting energy bills and help people better manage energy costs in the future.  To apply for assistance, customers can call 2-1-1 any time of day for a referral to their local EnergyShare agency. For program and eligibility details, visit https://www.dominionenergy.com/community/energy-assistance/energyshare-va.

About Dominion Energy

Dominion Energy ( NYSE:D) is one of the nation's largest producers and transporters of energy, with a portfolio of approximately 25,700 megawatts of generation, 15,000 miles of natural gas transmission, gathering and storage pipeline, and 6,600 miles of electric transmission lines. Dominion Energy operates one of the nation's largest natural gas storage systems with 1 trillion cubic feet of storage capacity and serves more than 6 million utility and retail energy customers. For more information, visit the company's website at www.dominionenergy.com

SOURCE Dominion Energy