Florida Power & Light Company today announced the introduction of a new online home energy survey designed to help residents keep their electric bills down. The new Internet-based home energy survey can be accessed at http://www.fpl.com/. This added feature to the company's secure Web site allows users to calculate the amount of energy their appliances use.

Residents may answer simple survey questions about their home on the online survey. The home energy survey calculates how much energy use and electric cost are associated with operating the appliances.

Assistance with the survey is available through help buttons. Smart defaults, a feature that allows the computer to supply information based on customer account history, make it easy to participate in the online survey. Links to detailed information explaining the recommendations and help locating contractors are available, too. Finally, FPL customers immediately get a printable report that can be shared with the entire family. This report contains ideas on how to keep electric bills down, how to qualify and sign up online for incentives and other FPL programs, and how to find installation contractors.

"The purpose of incorporating the home energy survey into our web site is to offer our residential customers a convenient, easy-to-use way to control the amount of energy used in their homes which will help them keep their bills down," said Bill Hamilton, vice president of customer service, for FPL.

The web site also offers the user an opportunity to adjust the usage on appliances and to see the difference even small increases or decreases in electric use can make in the bill. Residents considering adding features to their homes such as swimming pools and spas can easily determine the energy cost to operate them.

"In the 'what if?' section of the site, residents considering adding a pool or spa to their home can calculate how much this will add to their energy bill," said Hamilton. "For example, an average-size motor on a pool pump operating for 6-8 hours each day can add as much as $20 to $30 each month to the cost of electricity," he said.

Studies show that approximately 60 percent of FPL customers have Internet access at home or at work. The online home energy survey offers busy customers an energy survey at any time, day or night. This feature is especially useful for people who work and find it difficult to schedule a personal, home energy survey or for customers who like the do-it-yourself method.

In addition to energy use and cost calculations, online home energy survey users get helpful energy conservation information and tips for controlling electric use. These include:

  * Set the thermostat no lower than 78 degrees during the summer.
  * Use ceiling fans in occupied rooms and adjust the air conditioner's
    thermostat to 80 degrees Fahrenheit to save even more.
  * Set the water heater temperature to 120 degrees, making sure the power
    to the appliance is off first.
  * Clean refrigerator condenser coils yearly.
  * Set the refrigerator temperature to between 38 and 40 degrees.
  * Keep the refrigerator's freezer as full as possible so that the freezer
    doesn't have to work as hard.
  * Weather-strip doors, windows, and around wall-mounted air conditioners.
  * Caulk between siding and windows and doorframes and beneath windowsills.

Florida Power & Light Company is the principal subsidiary of FPL Group, Inc. , one of the nation's largest providers of electricity-related services with annual revenues of more than $7 billion. The company serves approximately 3.9 million customer accounts in Florida. FPL Energy, LLC, FPL Group's energy-generating subsidiary, is a leader in producing electricity from clean and renewable fuels. Additional information is available on the Internet at www.fpl.com.

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SOURCE: Florida Power & Light Company