Duke Energy Progress helps homeowners save 20 percent on utility bills through Residential New Construction Program

- More than 3,800 energy-efficient projects constructed in 2016

- Program paid over $10.5 million in incentives to homebuilders resulting in monthly energy bill savings for customers

- Awards event recognizes program's top homebuilders and energy raters who analyze energy efficiency in each home

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Jun 15, 2017, 11:15 ET

RALEIGH, N.C., June 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Duke Energy Progress helped homebuilders and home energy raters in the Triangle, Wilmington and Asheville areas construct 3,800 new energy-efficient homes in 2016.

Families moving into these homes collectively save 20 percent on their utility bills compared to standard code-built homes.

"Powering the lives of hard-working families is the most important job we have," said David Fountain, Duke Energy's North Carolina president. "Builders participating in the Residential New Construction Program are making a commitment to building better, smarter and more efficient homes to benefit North Carolina's communities."

As part of the program, certified Home Energy Raters access and verify the energy efficiency of each home.

Qualifying homes must meet stricter requirements that make them at least 15 to 20 percent more energy efficient than homes built to standard building codes. Energy-saving features include increased insulation values, tighter building shells, high-performance HVAC systems and high-efficiency windows.

Long-term benefits to homeowners include enhanced indoor comfort, improved air quality, increased property value and energy bill savings month after month.

The Residential New Construction Program was launched in 2013, and has supported 10,000 projects to date.

Homebuilder and Home Energy Rater awards
Duke Energy Progress recently hosted the 2016 Homebuilder and Rater Awards to recognize efforts to support the Residential New Construction Program. The following category winners were recognized for each region:

Central Region (Triangle area)

M/I Homes – Production Builder of the Year
GWB Construction – Low Volume Builder of the Year
Southern Energy Management – Rater of the Year

Coastal Region (Wilmington area)

Bill Clark Homes – Production Builder of the Year
Herrington Homes – Low Volume Builder of the Year
Above and Beyond Energy – Rater of the Year

Western Region (Asheville area)

JAG and Associates – Production Builder of the Year
Living Stone Design + Build – Low Volume Builder of the Year
Vandemusser Design PLLC – Rater of the Year

"The 2016 award winners are all key participants whose contributions have made the Residential New Construction Program a success," said Fountain. "Thanks to their hard work, the program exceeded its goal for megawatt-hour savings in 2016."

For more information on the Residential New Construction Program, visit www.duke-energy.com/mynewhome.

About Duke Energy Progress
Duke Energy Progress owns nuclear, coal-fired, natural gas, renewables and hydroelectric generation. That diverse fuel mix provides about 12,900 megawatts of owned electric capacity to approximately 1.5 million customers in a 32,000-square-mile service area of North Carolina and South Carolina.

Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Duke Energy is one of the largest energy holding companies in the United States. Its Electric Utilities and Infrastructure business unit serves approximately 7.5 million customers located in six states in the Southeast and Midwest. The company's Gas Utilities and Infrastructure business unit distributes natural gas to approximately 1.6 million customers in the Carolinas, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee. Its Commercial Renewables business unit operates a growing renewable energy portfolio across the United States.

Duke Energy is a Fortune 125 company traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DUK. More information about the company is available at duke-energy.com.

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SOURCE Duke Energy