Duke Energy : highlights importance of small business owners and entrepreneurs in Florida

• National Small Business Week, April 28-May 4, recognizes contributions of small businesses in driving local economies

• Company highlights programs aimed to help save time and money for the more than 80,000 small businesses it serves across the state

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - National Small Business Week is a time to celebrate small businesses and their contributions to the economy. It's also a perfect time for Duke Energy's small and medium business customers to take advantage of the enhanced options and customized tools the company provides to help businesses save time and money.

According to the Small Business Administration (SBA), 99.8% of Florida businesses are considered small businesses (small businesses are generally defined as those with fewer than 500 employees).

"Small and locally owned businesses improve the lives of our employees and our customers, and support the vitality of our communities," said Melissa Seixas, Duke Energy Florida state president. "It is truly a privilege to serve Florida's growing population of small businesses with the reliable and increasingly clean power they depend on each day. We're constantly listening to our customers, and we look forward to continuing to provide improved experiences designed with our business customers in mind."

Duke Energy Florida serves approximately 80,000 small and medium business customers throughout the state. This number represents a diverse group from small, locally owned retail to manufacturing and more.

Over the years, the company has developed new ways to better serve the myriad types of business customers, including providing a customized experience unique to each business, and creating a virtual account management system for ease of access and to save time. Since last year, Duke Energy has seen a 28% increase in its business portal logins, which allows customers to easily manage more than one account using customized tools and self-service options.

Customers are encouraged to set up an online profile to access the one-stop digital resource to help customers streamline bill payment, view and track energy usage, and keep all the right people in the know with enhanced outage notifications and bill reminders.

The company also offers several easy-to-use energy efficiency programs and tools like business energy checks to help businesses have more control over their energy use and bills.

In addition to its business services, Duke Energy remains focused on developing an ecosystem to support the growth and development of business through its economic development efforts, including providing networking opportunities, sponsorships and scholarships for innovation and entrepreneurship programs across the state.

To learn more about these programs, visit duke-energy.com/BizX or watch this short video.

Duke Energy Florida

Duke Energy Florida, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, owns 12,300 megawatts of energy capacity, supplying electricity to 2 million residential, commercial and industrial customers across a 13,000-square-mile service area in Florida.

Duke Energy

Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America's largest energy holding companies. The company's electric utilities serve 8.4 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 54,800 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas utilities serve 1.7 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky.

Duke Energy is executing an ambitious clean energy transition, keeping reliability, affordability and accessibility at the forefront as the company works toward net-zero methane emissions from its natural gas business by 2030 and net-zero carbon emissions from electricity generation by 2050. The company is investing in major electric grid upgrades and cleaner generation, including expanded energy storage, renewables, natural gas and nuclear.

More information is available at duke-energy.com and the Duke Energy News Center. Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook, and visit illumination for stories about the people and innovations powering our energy transition.

Media contact: Audrey Stasko
Media line: 800.559.3853