DLC Gives Customers Lots of Ways to Save on Energy Bills This Holiday Season
How to lower the cost of energy efficiency upgrades using DLC programs and IRA funding
.png)
Finding ways to lower monthly utility bills is a high priority for many Pittsburgh residents.
That’s why Duquesne Light Company (DLC) continues to work hard to offer money-saving incentives, rebates and programs to its customers, as well as highlight the available federal rebates.
“Part of the customer experience is satisfaction, and that’s important,” said Dave Defide, DLC’s senior manager of customer program. “Equally important is the experience the customer has with us. Thankfully, there are many opportunities customers have to manage their energy bills.”
We sat down with Defide to highlight the numerous money-saving options for Pittsburgh-area residents.
Energy Efficiency Program
DLC’s Energy Efficiency program helps customers reduce electricity consumption by offering rebates and energy conservation assistance. Customers can visit the DLC website to take advantage of opportunities that include:
- Warm Wishes, Cozy Deals: DLC’s Holiday Savings sales program runs through Jan. 2, 2024. Customers can take advantage of steep savings on green appliances, power strips and Energy-Star-rated thermostats, including a Google Nest Thermostat for as low as $4.99.
- Whole-House Energy Audit: DLC’s professional energy audit shows customers ways to reduce energy usage by identifying appliances they can upgrade — sometimes for free — or with a credit of up to $275.
- Money-Saving Rebates: DLC offers instant rebates on energy conservation products like refrigerators, dehumidifiers, freezers and more.
- Appliance Recycling: DLC will pick up and remove old, working appliances for free and provide up to $50 for recycling them.
“We want to work with customers to reduce consumption and make bills more affordable, that’s our driving force,” Defide said.
Federal Government Incentives and Rebates
The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022 aims to help Americans make their homes energy-efficient through 2032 by reducing the cost of energy efficient appliances and other clean energy technology, like electric vehicles and solar. DLC created an online guide to inform customers about the numerous rebates and programs available to market-level and income-qualified households.
“DLC recognizes that the cost to make the necessary upgrades that reduce electricity can be costly, but through the available programs, you can stack incentives to get the maximum dollar amount for what upgrades you want,” Defide said.
Customers who visit the DLC guide will find two ways to save on their bills:
- Income-qualified households can get free upgrades via an instant rebate program for a wide range of products, such as central air conditioning units, heat pumps, furnaces, water heaters, doors, solar panels and more. Income-eligible customers can also utilize DLC’s free energy assessment to find additional ways to save.
- Market-rate households can get tax credits and rebates on similar energy-saving devices.
“Customers can see the opportunities that the IRA provides and combine that with the extra dollars DLC offers them,” Defide said. “It’s stacking all available rebates to bring customers as much money savings as possible and using the website to make it straightforward for them to navigate.”
Personalized Tips for DLC Customers
DLC customers can also use their online account to get a host of additional, personalized benefits that include:
- Daily, monthly and hourly usage data to see the times they use more electricity so they can look for opportunities to reduce output.
- Individual energy costs.
- Energy usage and costs in similar homes for comparison.
- Home energy analysis.
- Personalized tips to help them save money.
- Estimated upcoming bill to show them what to expect and give them an opportunity to reduce usage if necessary.
DLC’s Home Energy Center gives customers even more resources, including a vampire calculator to show customers how much electronics and appliances cost them annually, even when they’re not in use, a kids’ activity and games center and an interactive home to showcase how most people use energy.
“We have a passion to help our customers,” Defide said. “We want to give them the best information available in an ever-changing world.”
This article first appeared in the New Pittsburgh Courier on Dec. 12, 2023.