DELRAY BEACH, Fla. —  The air conditioning is cranked up high in David King’s car as he drives to a customer’s house on a hot summer day. Cranked almost as high is King’s radio volume as he smiles ear-to-ear, joyously singing one of his favorite songs -- Takin' Care of Business by Bachman Turner Overdrive. 

And today's business for King -- taking care of Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) customers, one by one. For the last 40 years, King has served as an energy expert for FPL and is no stranger to the influx of customer home visits during the summer months. Many are eager to learn how they can save money as their electric bills spike due to increased energy usage.

“You need to help someone in life and this is where I get to help my people... our customers,” King said.

King visits 81-year-old Johanna Mitrichas, who reached out to FPL hoping to reduce her electricity bill. King arrives with a smile, carrying the necessary equipment to survey her home and find ways to save energy. He starts by checking and cleaning Mitrichas' air conditioning unit.

“For every degree you bump up on your thermostat in the summer, you can save between 3-5% on cooling costs,” King explains. He recommends customers use ceiling fans only when they are in the same room, regularly change air filters and turn up the thermostat when leaving the house. “Every day you don’t waste electricity, it’s better for your pocketbook.”

His favorite part of the job is getting a smile from the customers he helps, and those grins are the very reason why he still looks forward to this job every day for the last four decades.

“FPL is a great company,” Mitrichas said with a smile after receiving King’s advice. “They really are. They’ve always been good to me.”

After offering a few more energy saving tips, handing over his business card and sharing some laughs, King said his goodbyes and loaded up for his next visit across town.

Coming from a family of musicians, it’s only natural that King sings at every chance he gets in his FPL car to pass the time between jobs.

When the music stopped, King arrived in the town of Gulf Stream and introduced himself to his next customer, Sherrie Crossen, who is interested in insulating her ceiling to help save on cooling costs.

“I’ve been an FPL customer for 30 years,” Crossen said as she inquisitively watched King survey her home. Together, they checked the attic, AC unit, hot water heater, pool pump and electric meter.

For customers like Crossen, who own a pool, FPL energy experts recommend running pool pumps four to six hours a day. This can lower costs to $40 to $45 a month compared to more than $100 a month, if pumps are left running continuously.

Customers can also receive more than $90 in annual bill credits each year by participating in the company’s On Call® program. By installing a small energy-management device, customers allow FPL to redirect electricity during periods of extremely high demand. Customers receive monthly credits regardless of whether appliances are ever switched off.  

“Getting up every day, I know I’m going to be able to help at least one customer,” said King. “It’s beyond gratifying.”

By downloading the FPL app and using the Energy Manager feature, customers can learn how much each appliance costs them hour by hour. FPL customers can learn more ways to save energy and money on their bill by visiting https:// fpl.com/WaysToSave.