Summer heat is driving up energy demand, as Americans crank up their air conditioners amid record-breaking heat to stay safe and comfortable. Over the past two weeks, more than 200 million Americans were under extreme heat alerts, with temperatures as high as 115°F across central and eastern parts of the United States.

This led to weekly electricity output hitting record levels in early July. America’s electric companies delivered twice as much energy in seven days as New York City uses in an entire year.

EEI’s member companies work every day to deliver reliable, affordable energy to the customers counting on them, maintaining a range of initiatives to drive efficiency and lower customer costs.

Dominion Energy

Dominion Energy’s EnergyShare assistance program gives eligible customers up to $300 from June 1 through September 30 and up to $600 October 1 through May 31 to help cover cooling and heating costs. The EnergyShare program also helps customers weatherize their homes to save money long term.

“Don’t make assumptions about whether you’re eligible or not. It’s not a lengthy or arduous process. You can check it out, see if you qualify, and if not, there are other options to explore,” said Dominion Energy spokesperson Craig Carper in a statement.

Entergy Texas

Entergy Texas’ energy efficiency team partners with local contractors each year to provide customers with free air-conditioning system tuneups. They recently worked with customers in the Orange and Dayton areas and are expanding to more communities across the state of Texas. Through the CoolSaver program, technicians optimize home cooling systems by cleaning, inspecting, and adjusting key components during tune-ups.

“We know summer heat in Southeast Texas can be intense, and inefficient cooling systems can add stress to a family’s budget,” said Entergy Texas Energy Efficiency Program Manager Weslyn Brown in a statement. “These tune-ups and upgrades help improve comfort, reduce energy use and put customers in a better position during the hottest months of the year.”

Eligible customers may also qualify for weatherization improvements, including air sealing, upgraded attic insulation, and duct sealing. These services help maintain indoor comfort by keeping cool air inside and blocking heat from entering the home. The company values these services at more than $250 per unit. Due to a high volume of applications, the CoolSaver program is not accepting new applications until next year.

Duke Energy

Duke Energy helps customers manage their summer energy use with tools and programs designed to meet customers where they are. Usage Alerts help customers stay informed about their projected energy use and estimated bill amount before their next bill arrives. Customers may also be eligible for a free home energy assessment, which offers personalized recommendations to help them better understand their home's energy use and identify opportunities to improve efficiency.

“Summer can be a challenging time for many households, and our goal is to give customers simple, practical tools that help them better understand their energy use and identify options that fit their needs, lifestyle and budget,” said Duke Energy spokesperson Caroline Fountain.

Depending on where they live, customers may also have access to time-of-use rates, bill credits through demand response programs and rebates for energy-efficient home upgrades. Together, these tools and programs help customers better understand their energy use and find options that fit their household needs, lifestyle and budget. Program availability varies by location, so customers should check the offerings available in their area.

Resources and Tips to Help Reduce Energy Bills

Electric companies across the country are also proponents of the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which helps qualifying customers with their energy bills. August is LIHEAP Action Month, when EEI and the National Energy & Utility Affordability Coalition raise awareness about LIHEAP and advocate for continued federal funding for the program.

Learn more about how EEI’s member companies keep electricity prices low during LIHEAP Action Month and throughout the year. 

There are also simple ways you can save energy and money while simultaneously keeping your home cool. EEI and our member companies encourage customers to follow these seven energy efficient tips in the summer:

• Service Your AC: Schedule a professional tune-up and replace filters as recommended.
• Use a Smart Thermostat: Program temperatures to improve comfort and reduce energy costs.
• Keep Airflow Clear: Make sure vents and the outdoor AC unit are free of obstructions.
• Cover Windows: Close blinds, curtains, or drapes on sun-facing windows to reduce heat gain.
• Switch to LEDs: Use LED bulbs and take advantage of natural daylight when possible.
• Seal Air Leaks: Caulk and weather-strip cracks and openings to keep cool air inside.
• Cook Smarter: Grill outdoors or use a microwave to minimize indoor heat.

For more tips on how to save energy during the summer, check out EEI’s More Than 100 Ways to Improve Your Electric Bill booklet.

In July, representatives from EEI, CenterPoint Energy, Dominion Energy, Duke Energy, Entergy, Florida Power & Light, Southern Company, and TECO Energy traveled to Capitol Hill to meet with federal lawmakers and their staff for the third annual Congressional Hurricane Preparedness and Recovery Symposium.

The symposium showcased the vital role of industry-government partnerships and mutual assistance networks. The event also emphasized the electric power industry's commitment to disaster preparedness and recovery, highlighting how technological advancements enable faster, more efficient responses as lineworkers and first responders restore power and hope to impacted communities.

During the event, electric companies showcased their disaster preparedness and resilience plans and tools, including:

• Dominion Energy’s grid upgrades that are enhancing resilience, including automatic sectionalizers that help restore power more quickly when outages occur.
• Duke Energy’s grid modernization plans, including investments in weather-resilient power poles, smart grid technologies, and unmanned aerial systems and helicopters to monitor the grid.
• Entergy's Damage Assessment Collecting Tool, which streamlines the damage assessment process and allows field assessors to access online maps to relay the exact location of where repairs need to be made.
• TECO Energy’s lineworker equipment, which highlighted the difficult task lineworkers face every day as they maintain, repair, and upgrade critical energy infrastructure and restore power after extreme weather events.
• Florida Power & Light’s drones, which optimize grid assessment efforts and allow crews to gain visibility into hard-to-access sites.

Power of Partnerships

The event's fireside chat, which featured American Red Cross Vice President for Disaster Programs Jennifer Pipa and EEI Senior Vice President for Energy Security and Industry Operations Scott Aaronson showcased the vital role of partnerships and mutual assistance networks across sectors.

“Electric companies are critical to national security and critical to health and safety. We appreciate the support of our government partners, and our mantra is to be better today than we were yesterday—and better tomorrow than we are today,” said Aaronson.

“When things occur, what we do is look to the entire network [of regional American Red Cross organizations] and ask each one of them to put forward their volunteers, so that we can bring them together and then deploy them down to the disaster area. It's the exact same kind of mutual aid assistance model [as the electric power sector],” Pipa said.

U.S. Representatives Troy Carter (D-LA) and Jared Moskowitz (D-FL), co-chairs of the Congressional Disaster Preparedness and Recovery Caucus, emphasized the importance of disaster preparedness and partnerships that support recovery efforts.

“These storms, high winds, and high waters, they don’t know zip codes, socioeconomic status, or political affiliation,” Rep. Carter said. “They are equal opportunity havoc wreakers. We thank you all for your partnership, and we stand ready to support you.”

Disaster preparedness and recovery requires “absolute partnership,” said Rep. Moskowitz, noting that the Caucus supports the electric power industry and emergency management officials.

To learn more about how EEI’s member companies respond to extreme weather events and other disasters, visit EEI’s website.

Dominion Energy volunteers clean a Bumpass Volunteer Fire Department fire truck. (Photo: Dominion Energy)

Like many electric companies, Dominion Energy is a public service company.

That means providing the reliable, affordable, and increasingly clean energy that powers customers every day. Dominion Energy strives to make a positive impact in the communities we serve.

Corporate volunteerism is one of the ways we keep the public’s best interest at the forefront of what we do.

Dominion Energy celebrated National Volunteer Week in April, but we remain active in our communities all year long.

Here are three reasons why corporate volunteerism matters in the energy industry:

1. Volunteerism shows the community that you care about more than business metrics.

At its core, volunteering is all about helping others. When you help others, you’re demonstrating concern for your community’s wellbeing. That authentic engagement builds trust, which is so important to our industry as we work to meet customers’ evolving needs.

In 2024, Dominion Energy staff and retirees logged more than 110,000 volunteer hours in our service areas across multiple states.

For example, our volunteer teams:

• Planted over 17,000 native saplings with Friends of the Rappahannock.
• Supported the Bumpass Volunteer Fire Department with maintenance and cleanup.
• Built homes with Hanover and King William Habitat for Humanity.
• Helped with a backpack drive and shoe donations to support students in need.
• Painted fences and installed posts for therapeutic horse paddocks with the Ohana Preservation Foundation.

More than 6,300 of our volunteers spent time assisting nearly 800 organizations. Some more than once! Are you measuring the impact that your company is having on the customers and communities you serve?

Dominion Energy employees engage in several different volunteer efforts throughout the year to support their customers and communities. (Photo: Dominion Energy)

2. Volunteerism engages employees.

According to the Society for Human Resource Management, volunteer programs help boost job satisfaction, improve morale, and retain employees.

As the energy industry experiences rapid change, maintaining an engaged workforce is critical to longevity and success.

The key to a strong corporate volunteer program is to support staff in the causes they care about.

Consider offering paid time off or project grants to encourage employee volunteer efforts.

For example, Dominion Energy staff receive up to eight hours of paid volunteer time annually, as well as an opportunity to apply for an Employees in Action volunteer grant of up to $2,500 to support a project that they care about.

We’ve also had success setting up a volunteer platform with a database of potential projects and scheduling tools to make it easier for employees to get involved.

Such strategies empower staff to make a difference where they work and live. Plus, this approach demonstrates your commitment to service.

3. Volunteerism strengthens community connections.

Volunteering brings people together.

When staff members volunteer in the community, they have a chance to build meaningful relationships.

Leverage volunteerism to partner with nonprofits and charitable groups in your service area that align with your company values. Doing so will put you closer to the people you serve, providing an opportunity to learn more about their needs and how you can help.

For example, Dominion Energy partnered with organizers and talent from a music festival in Norfolk, Va., to lead an energy efficiency renovation at the home of a local senior citizen in need of bill assistance. I joined several Dominion Energy lineworkers and other team members to assist with landscaping, fence work, and other tasks while a team of contractors and energy partners upgraded the homeowner’s aging HVAC system, installed a new heat pump, performed necessary duct work, and replaced lighting and attic insulation, among other repairs. The festival artists who joined us used their influence and media interviews to raise awareness of the energy assistance programs that Dominion Energy and its partners make available to the community.

Collaboration amplifies your impact.

Volunteerism shows care for your community, engages employees, and strengthens connections with your customers, says Byrd. (Photo: Dominion Energy)

Additionally, by coupling volunteer efforts with charitable donations, your company can leave an even greater mark on the community. For example, through our Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation, EnergyShare, and other programs, Dominion Energy contributed $46.3 million in 2024 to community causes.

During National Volunteer Week and beyond, it is so important for our industry to commit to helping our customers and communities with our time and talents.

Ultimately, volunteer efforts improve the quality of life for customers and strengthen our communities.

That is what public service is all about.

Tonya Byrd is the senior policy director at Dominion Energy who manages community engagement. She is the 2019 recipient of the company’s Benjamin J. Lambert III Volunteer of the Year—Community Vitality award.

Dominion Energy (NYSE: D), headquartered in Richmond, Va., provides regulated electricity service to 3.6 million homes and businesses in Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina, and regulated natural gas service to 500,000 customers in South Carolina. The company is one of the nation’s leading developers and operators of regulated offshore wind and solar power and the largest producer of carbon-free electricity in New England. The company’s mission is to provide the reliable, affordable, and increasingly clean energy that powers its customers every day. Please visit DominionEnergy.com to learn more.