2010 Report - FPL.com

Customer AssistanceAnnual Report 2010Helping OthersWorking Together

Partnering to helpthose in needAt FPL, we understand that the most important way we can help our customers is by keeping the costof electricity as low as possible. By operating efficiently and responsibly, we have kept customer bills thelowest in the state and 22 percent below the national average.While we’re doing what we can to help customers in need, we know that we can achieve even moreby working together with our partners. Working hand-in-hand with government agencies and nonprofitorganizations, we can help many of our most financially vulnerable customers. It is that spirit ofpartnership that has guided our long-standing commitment to the communities and customers we serve.In 2010, our advocacy efforts and financial contributions, combined with those of our more than850 partners, helped facilitate a record high $42 million in assistance payments to more than 157,000customers in need.Our efforts to help customers in need focused on three key areas:Advocacy: Florida Power & Light Company has a long history of advocating for assistance dollarsand continued its efforts in this area in 2010. Florida’s share of the federally funded Low Income HomeEnergy Assistance Program, a program that helps limited-income households meet their immediatehome energy payment needs, exceeded $110 million. The need, however, exceeds the funding and wemust continue to advocate for more resources for our neighbors in need.Financial Support: Together with employees, FPL and its parent company, NextEra Energy, contributed$4.9 million in financial support. This support is distributed through organizations such as the UnitedWay, The Salvation Army and many other local nonprofit partners.Special Needs and Energy Efficient Solutions: FPL offers a wide variety of programs to helpcustomers understand and gain more control over their energy use. These solutions can go a long waytoward helping households stretch their energy dollars.While today’s difficult economy and competition for government funding will continue to presentchallenges, we are thankful to our many partners and employees who demonstrate that by helpingothers and working together we can have a positive impact on the well-being of the people of our state.Marlene SantosVice President, Customer ServicePamela RauchVice President, Corporate and External Affairs

FPL customers, shareholders and employeeswork together to provide financial supportFPL donated $1 million to FPLCare To Share ® for the fifthconsecutive yearFPL’s Care To Share program providesemergency assistance funds to customerswho are in crisis situations and unable to paytheir electric bills. Since it was founded in1994, FPL Care To Share has raised nearly$14.3 million and has provided assistance tomore than 63,000 families.NextEra Energy charitablecontributionsIn milllion$4.1$3.7$3.0200720082009Helping othersthrough FPL Care ToShare since 1994FPL knows that some customersmay experience financial hardshipsfrom time to time. That’s why FPLstarted the FPL Care To ShareProgram in 1994, a program thatuses 100 percent of its funds tohelp customers in need. Throughthe generosity of customers andemployees, and an annual $1 milliondonation from FPL shareholders,funds are available to helpcustomers who are in crisis pay theirelectric bills. You can help as well bydonating to FPL Care To Share.Please consider donating:$3.32010Thanks to more than $340,000 in donationsfrom FPL customers, $1 million from FPLshareholders and $81,000 from employees ofFPL’s parent company, NextEra Energy, FPLraised over $1.4 million to customers in need.These funds were distributed through TheSalvation Army, community action agenciesand other partner agencies.FPL and partners support seniorand limited income initiativesTogether with the Florida Council on Aging(FCOA), FPL supported Community Carefor the Elderly, which provides assistanceto qualifying seniors ages 60 and over sothey can remain in their homes or in thehomes of their caregivers rather than relocateto assisted living facilities. In 2010, FPL’sshareholder sponsorship was matched bydonations from partner organizations andindividuals across the state. Together, thesesponsorships enabled the FCOA to conducta grassroots advocacy campaign that helpedincrease funding for the program from theFlorida Legislature.For the 29th consecutive year, FPL alsoco-sponsored the FCOA’s Quality SeniorLiving Awards program. This prestigiousstatewide award recognizes individuals andorganizations whose efforts improved thequality of life for older Floridians.Other initiatives and recognitionNextEra Energy Foundation, the foundationof FPL’s parent company, donated more than$2 million to projects and programsthat contribute to the health and well-beingof the people who live in the 34 counties thatFPL serves.In 2010, FPL hosted Kettle Drives in severaloffices for the fifth straight year. FPL receiveda certificate of appreciation from The SalvationArmy in recognition of its support of TheSalvation Army’s annual Holiday Kettle Drive.FPL’s community support extended to manyother groups, including:»»211 Information and Referral Services»»Alliance For Aging»»Alzheimer’s Association»»American Red Cross»»Children’s Home Society»»Community Action Agencies»»Consumer Credit Counseling»»Meals on Wheels»»Retired Senior Volunteer Program»»Senior Resource Alliance»»When mailing in the check foryour FPL bill»»When paying your FPL bill online»»By using our FPL Care To Sharedonation page at www.FPL.com/c2sdonate.FPL Vice President of Corporate and External Affairs Pamela Rauch and NextEra Energy President and Chief OperatingOfficer Jim Robo present Major League Baseball Hall of Famer Andre Dawson (center) with a donation to his foundation tohelp children in need.

More customer assistanceto help those in needIn 2010, FPL processed nearly $42 millionin payments to more than 157,000customers in need. A network of socialservice agencies screened the customersand determined who received the paymentassistance. FPL’s advocacy efforts,combined with those of many partners,helped raise the funds which include morethan $35.4 million from the government,$1.5 million from FPL Care To Share andmore than $4.7 million from other nonprofitand faith-based organizations.“The National Fuel Funds Network supports the work of our memberutilities and nonprofit agencies to build both charitable energyassistance funding and federal energy aid. The partnership betweenNFFN and FPL is exemplary, and our shared advocacy efforts resultin a stronger energy assistance community and increased energyassistance for those in need.”George Coling, Executive Director, National Fuel Funds NetworkRecord-level assistance thanksto advocacy partnershipsThanks in great measure to advocacyinitiatives involving FPL and its partners,Congress allocated more than $5 billionto the nation’s Low Income Home EnergyAssistance Program (LIHEAP) in 2010.LIHEAP is the federal government’s primaryprogram that helps qualified limited-incomehouseholds pay their home energy bills.FPL partnered with several organizations,including the Coalition for AffordableEnergy for All, the National Fuel FundNetwork, the National Low Income EnergyConsortium, the Edison Electric Institute,the American Gas Association and others tohelp those in need. These groups workedtogether to increase energy assistancefunding and reduce hardships faced bylimited-income households.Florida’s share of the 2010 assistancefunding exceeded $110 million, and nearly119,000 FPL customer households receivedmore than $35 million in assistance.Florida LIHEAP FundingIn milllionIn 2010, 118,899 FPL customers received$35.3 million of the state’s $110.3 millionin LIHEAP assistance$110.3$101.7$28.02007$30.4200820092010LIHEAP helped more customers than everin 2010, however, less than 20 percentof eligible Florida households receivedassistance since the need for assistancewas greater than the funds available. For2011, Congress renewed LIHEAP fundingat levels nearly that of fiscal year 2009,but given the ongoing economic challenges,the available assistance will continue to fallshort in Florida. To provide more help,FPL will continue to advocate for fundingin 2011 and 2012, working with its partnersto secure more resources for Floridians.Statewide coalition improvesservices and increases fundingTo help Florida families in need, FPL continuedto support the Florida Energy AffordabilityCoalition (FLEAC), a coalition that FPL cofoundedwith the Department of CommunityAffairs in 2006. The coalition strives tomaximize payment assistance resources tolimited-income Floridians.In 2010, FLEAC continued to serve customersin need in several ways, including its websiteand an educational video: “Ways to SaveEnergy and Money.” The video was distributedto more than 175 community service partnersin Florida and offers no-cost and low-costenergy-efficiency tips tailored to limited-incomecustomers.Also in 2010, a FLEAC partner, FloridaLegal Services, Inc., sponsored a proposalto increase the Florida Food Stamp utilityallowance. FPL supported this initiative,which helped increase the utility allowanceand assistance for eligible limited-incomefamilies in Florida. Additional informationon the coalition’s efforts is available atwww.FLEAC.net.FPL keeps bills lowfor customersFPL continues to keep the cost ofelectricity as low as possible for itscustomers. By operating efficientlyand responsibly, FPL’s typicalresidential customer bill was thelowest in the state in 2010 and hasbeen the lowest on an annual basissince 2008.FPL’s ASSIST program, apartnership that helps othersFPL’s ASSIST program helps eligiblecustomers in need by facilitatingemergency payment assistance throughstate and community action agencies andnonprofit, social service and faith-basedorganizations. The program includes anetwork of more than 850 partners in Floridawho determine if customers are eligible forassistance. The program also helps disbursethe assistance funds. In 2010, FPL referredmore than 210,000 customers in need to itspartner agencies. As a result of FPL’s referralprogram and efforts from its partners, morethan 157,000 customers received payments,yielding nearly $42 million for eligible families.

Collaboration improves energy efficiency,affordability and quality of lifeFPL continued to offer energy efficiencyprograms and initiatives for its limited-incomeand special needs customers.Home Energy Makeovers helphundreds of familiesFPL partnered with local governments,community organizations, conservationcontractors, FPL employee volunteersand other partners to provide limitedincomehomeowners with free HomeEnergy Makeovers. FPL’s energy efficiencyexperts provided energy-saving tips andimprovements that saved homeownersup to 25 percent annually on their electricbills. In 2010, FPL completed 150 homeenergy makeovers in Riviera Beach, FloridaCity, Bradenton and Palmetto. Since theprogram’s inception, more than 550 homeshave been “made over” with energy savingupgrades such as weather stripping,compact fluorescent light bulbs, low-flowfaucets and showerheads and lifetime airconditioning filters.FPL and partners continue toeducate those in needIn partnership with several social serviceagencies, FPL co-sponsored and conductedmore than 23 energy education seminarsin Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beachcounties. More than 500 limited-incomecustomers learned about home energyefficiency and energy-saving products.Attendees received compact fluorescentlight bulbs, appointments for home energysurveys and information on energypayment assistance.Nonprofit Energy Makeovershelp organizations save energyand moneyFPL’s Nonprofit Energy Makeover program,modeled on FPL’s successful HomeEnergy Makeover, helps educate nonprofitorganizations about saving money throughenergy efficiency. Every dollar they save ontheir electric bill is a dollar they could use tohelp others. With education, simple upgradesand routine maintenance, FPL shows itsnonprofit customers how to save hundreds,even thousands of dollars annually on electricbills. Here’s how it works:“Three thousand dollars is a lot of money to us. We can give 3,000 hotshowers to people, we can give about 125 families a nice food box,we can take care of about 1,500 people with a hot nutritious dailymeal, so there are lots of ways to apply those savings.”Marti Forman, Chief Executive Officer, Cooperative Feeding ProgramFPL energy experts conduct a BusinessEnergy Evaluation of the nonprofitorganization’s location to identify waysto improve its energy efficiency andlower its energy bills. Then FPL’s teamworks with partner contractors to makethe recommended energy-efficiencyimprovements. This is all done at nocost to the nonprofit organization. Suchimprovements may include air conditioningsystem replacement or repairs, lightingupgrades, programmable thermostatinstallations, weatherization measuresand more. In total, these organizations areestimated to save $6,000 annually on theirelectric bills.The following organizations received FPL’snonprofit makeover in 2010:»»St. Martha’s Early Learning Center –Sarasota»»Cooperative Feeding Program –Fort Lauderdale»»Mustard Seed Ministries –Port St. LucieTo view these makeovers, visitwww.youtube.com/FPL.FPL Energy Expert Harrell Henton shares energy-saving tips with FPL customer Eva Byrd as part ofFlorida Power & Light Company’s free Home Energy Makeover in Florida City, Fla., on June 9, 2010.

Joining hands tohelp the communityIn this difficult economic environment, manyorganizations must rely on volunteers toperform work that used to be done by paidemployees. Employees of FPL and its parentcompany, NextEra Energy, continued to begenerous with their time away from work. In2010, they volunteered more than 21,000hours across the state. Here are some ofthe other ways that FPL and NextEra Energyhelped the community:»»During the unusual cold snap in thebeginning of 2010, FPL provided sleepingbags to shelters across the state.»»FPL promoted the Earned IncomeTax Credit option through its bill inserts,seminars to limited-income customersand its website. Thousands ofeligible Florida families had more moneyto pay for critical needs such as food,clothing and medicine as a result of thistax credit.»»NextEra Energy’s 2010 United WayCampaign was one of the most successfulin the state, raising $2.2 million in pledgesfor 36 United Way agencies in Florida.»»NextEra Energy and its employeescontributed $120,000 to the AmericanRed Cross disaster relief fund to helpvictims of the earthquake in Haiti.»»Attorneys from NextEra Energy’slegal group worked with the Legal AidSociety of Palm Beach County to helpwith foreclosure relief to hundreds ofhomeowners.»»One thousand NextEra Energy employeesand their families volunteered incommunities where they live and workas part of its second annual Powerto Care Day.»»As part of The Salvation Army’s annualAngel Tree project, employees fromNextEra Energy’s corporate headquartersin Juno Beach donated so many new toysand bicycles to children in need that theyfilled a Salvation Army truck to the brim.»»NextEra Energy employees raised moneyfor several charities through variouswalks, runs and cycling events, such asthe Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure,American Heart Association Heart Walk,the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation’s BikeMS and the National Kidney FoundationKidney Walk.Did you know?In 2010, NextEra Energy employeesvolunteered more than 21,000 hoursto charities across the state, a valueof $437,850.“ It takes innovative ideas and collaborative partnerships to ensure energysecurity for all. Florida Power & Light Company has been, and continuesto be, a part of the solution. Being responsible corporate citizensdemonstrates their commitment to helping the people they serve.”David Fox, Executive Director, National Low Income Energy ConsortiumNextEra Energy Chairman and CEO Lew Hayvolunteers to work on a Habitat for Humanityproject in Jupiter, Fla., as part of FPL’s Power toCare Day on April 17, 2010.FPL employees and their families gather to do volunteer work at the John D. MacArthur Park in North Palm Beach, Fla., as part of FPL’s second annualPower to Care Day.

FPL has a variety of programs and servicesto address customers’ special needsNew toys and bikes donated by FPL employees for children in need filled a Salvation Army truck to the brim during the holidays.Helping customers with specialmedical needsThrough FPL’s Medically Essential ServiceProgram (MESP), FPL offers specialassistance to customers who need anuninterrupted supply of electricity formedical reasons. Eligible customersreceive additional time to pay their bills,special notices before electrical service isdisconnected for non-payment and referralsto social service agencies that providefinancial assistance.Because of this program, customers inspecial circumstances have extra time tosecure funds or make other arrangements tohelp ensure that their electricity-dependentmedical needs are met.To supplement MESP, FPL has the EasingAssistance with Storm Emergencies, orEASE program. It provides support forMESP customers before and after a storm,including pre-storm special communicationsand post-storm “storm care cooler kits” thatcontain emergency supplies.Helping at-risk seniorsUnder the Always Watching for At-Risk Elders, or AWARE program, FPLtrains its employees to identify and referpotentially at-risk seniors to social serviceorganizations. Since the AWARE programbegan, hundreds of seniors, who otherwisemight have been missed, have receivedpayment assistance and other servicesfrom FPL’s agency partners. In 2010, morethan 50 referrals were made on behalf ofseniors in need.Protecting customers throughits “extreme-temperature-noshut-off”policyFPL maintains an “extreme-temperatureno-shut-off”policy. In extremely high orlow temperatures, FPL suspends servicedisconnection activity, providing relief forlimited-income and elderly customers whoare most at risk.Helping customers managetheir billsIn addition to facilitating financialassistance, FPL has several programs tohelp customers better manage their electricbills:»»FPL Budget Billing ® gives customersmore predictable electric bills by levelingenergy costs over the year so that theypay about the same amount each month.»»FPL Automatic Bill Pay ® allowscustomers to pay their bill on time everymonth using their bank account.»»62 Plus program allows customers tomatch the due date on their FPL bill withthe arrival of their monthly benefit check.“ The Salvation Army sincerely appreciates the generous financial supportto families and individuals in crisis that FPL continues to provide. TheFPL Care To Share Program has given hope to many needy persons, andthey express their gratitude for your generosity and kindness.”Patricia Hall, Case Worker, The Salvation Army of Okeechobee County

Moving ForwardOur PledgeFPL pledges to work on behalf of all customers to help providethem with the resources to meet their home energy needs.FPL will continue to:»»Identify, create and support viable programs,products and services»»Create and nurture partnerships with all stakeholders»»Improve the quality and dignity of life for its limited-incomecustomers by providing reliable and affordable energy19169