Duke Energy and the Duke Energy Foundation have announced a total of $125,000 in microgrants to nine nonprofit organizations across South Carolina. Each grant is up to $20,000 and is intended to help prepare homes for energy efficiency upgrades by addressing pre-existing health and safety issues that prevent participation in weatherization programs.
The grants are targeted at households that cannot benefit from energy efficiency improvements due to problems such as roof leaks, electrical hazards, mold, pest infestations, or structural deficiencies. These issues must be resolved before any weatherization or energy-saving measures can be implemented.
The recipients of these grants include Citizens United for Redevelopment and Economic Stability of Chester ($10,000), City of Florence ($10,000), Emmanuel’s Hammer ($20,000), Habitat for Humanity Greenville County ($20,000), Habitat for Humanity of York County ($10,000), Helping Florence Flourish ($10,000), Rebuild Upstate ($5,000), Sumter United Ministries ($20,000), and United Way of Hartsville ($20,000).
Jerry Dudley, Planning Director for the City of Florence in South Carolina said: “The Duke Energy Foundation grant will enhance the city’s Weatherization and Rehabilitation Program by funding critical home repairs for income-challenged households. Several homeowners are in urgent need of roof repairs. These grant dollars will help extend the reach of the city’s program, allowing us to serve more families and address essential housing needs.”
John Lattimore, Chief Program Officer at Habitat for Humanity of Greenville County stated: “Habitat for Humanity of Greenville County is excited and honored to continue our partnership with Duke Energy and their commitment to providing a better quality of life for families in need. This specific funding will help provide warm, safe and dry conditions through critical home repairs for several deserving families. The need is great in our community and partners like Duke Energy allow us to meet more of that need.”
Tim Pearson, President of Duke Energy South Carolina added: “Many homes in our state have underlying safety issues that prevent homeowners from participating in energy efficiency and weatherization programs that can significantly moderate energy bills and decrease the growing demand on the energy grid. Recent legislative efforts have made it clear energy efficiency is critical to our long-term efforts to respond to growth in our state, and Duke Energy continues to look at new ways of expanding energy saving opportunities for our customers.”
In addition to these grants, Duke Energy Progress started a pilot program in 2024 offering free energy improvements based on household income and energy use. In 2025, incentives were increased along with eligibility criteria expanded for various energy efficiency programs in South Carolina. More details about these initiatives can be found at duke-energy.com/SummerSavings.
The Duke Energy Foundation provides over $30 million each year in philanthropic support within communities served by Duke Energy customers. The Foundation is funded by shareholders.
Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK) serves electric utility customers across six states including North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky with 8.6 million customers collectively owning 55,100 megawatts of capacity. Its natural gas utilities serve 1.7 million customers across five states.
For further information about Duke Energy’s activities or community initiatives visit duke-energy.com or follow them on social media platforms such as X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn or Facebook.
