Duke Energy : Mayors in Carolinas, Tennessee proclaim Dec. 12 ‘Share the Warmth Day’

• Proclamations encourage support for Piedmont Natural Gas program that keeps neighbors warm.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - To encourage the act of giving and sharing warmth with neighbors, the mayors of Charlotte, Fayetteville, Greensboro and Wilmington, N.C., Greenville, S.C., and Nashville, Tenn., have proclaimed Dec. 12, 2021, as "Share the Warmth Day" in their respective cities.

Share the Warmth is a long-running program sponsored by Piedmont Natural Gas that provides emergency funding for neighbors who need help paying their energy bills, regardless of the energy source they use.

Money is collected from Piedmont customers through the company's Round Up program, as well as from community donations and a direct contribution from Piedmont itself.

"Helping keep our neighbors warm has been the goal of Piedmont's Share the Warmth program since its inception in 2003," said Barbara Ashford, community relations manager for Piedmont Natural Gas. "We designated Dec. 12 as 'Share the Warmth Day' to remind our customers that they can make a huge difference to our neighbors in need for no more than $12 a year by joining our Round Up program, which rounds up their monthly bill to the next dollar and contributes the difference to Share the Warmth.

"As we head into the winter heating season when many customers may be experiencing higher-than-normal energy bills due to cold weather and the increase in the cost of natural gas customers are facing across the globe, there's no better time to consider this easy way to help those in our community who may be having difficulty making ends meet. And we encourage those neighbors who may be struggling to contact us, whether it's online or by phone, to learn more about how these funds can assist them," Ashford said.

To shine a light on the importance of Share the Warmth's mission, Piedmont Natural Gas has teamed up with mayors throughout its three-state service territory in hopes of encouraging Piedmont customers and the community at large to support the program and help keep our neighbors warm this winter.

Piedmont customers can enroll easily in Share the Warmth through one of the following methods:

• Visiting piedmontng.com/ShareTheWarmth.
  
• Filling out the form on the back of their bill.
  
• Calling Piedmont at 800.752.7504.
  
• Texting SHARE to 21209 (message and data rates may apply).

Non-customers also can visit piedmontng.com/ShareTheWarmth to learn more about how to contribute to the program by mailing a check to Piedmont.

All funds collected through Share the Warmth go to help neighbors in the community where the money is donated, and 100% of contributions are distributed through local nonprofit partners directly to those in need.

Assistance from Share the Warmth is available year-round to eligible neighbors who are struggling to pay their energy bills, regardless of the source of energy they use, including propane, electricity and natural gas.

About Piedmont Natural Gas

Piedmont Natural Gas, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, is an energy services company whose principal business is the distribution of natural gas to more than 1 million residential, commercial and industrial customers in North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. The company also supplies natural gas to power plants. Piedmont is routinely recognized by J.D. Power for excellent customer satisfaction, and has been named by Cogent Reports as one of the most trusted utility brands in the U.S.

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 7.9 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 51,000 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 27,500 people.

Duke Energy is executing an aggressive clean energy strategy to create a smarter energy future for its customers and communities - with goals of at least a 50% carbon reduction by 2030 and net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The company is a top U.S. renewable energy provider, on track to own or purchase 16,000 megawatts of renewable energy capacity by 2025. The company also is investing in major electric grid upgrades and expanded battery storage, and exploring zero-emitting power generation technologies such as hydrogen and advanced nuclear.

Duke Energy was named to Fortune's 2021 "World's Most Admired Companies" list and Forbes' "America's Best Employers" list. More information about the company is available at duke-energy.com. The Duke Energy News Center contains news releases, fact sheets, photos, videos and other materials. Duke Energy's illumination features stories about people, innovations, community topics and environmental issues. Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

Media Contact: Jason Wheatley
Piedmont Natural Gas
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