LOUISVILLE, Ky. — LG&E and KU today announced that, due to a potential safety concern, they are voluntarily replacing the programmable thermostats which are a component of their Demand Conservation programs. The affected customers will not be charged for the replacement.
There are currently approximately 12,500 customers who have these thermostats in their homes or small businesses. The thermostats are among a type that have exhibited signs of overheating in very limited instances. While it has not been concluded that there is any safety issue with these thermostats, LG&E and KU have decided to proactively remove all existing units while the matter is being investigated.
"We have independent experts evaluating these thermostats and the manufacturer is also looking into the potential problem, but rather than wait for those final results, our concern for our customers' safety compels us to act now," said Chris Hermann, Senior Vice President of Energy Delivery for E.ON U.S., parent company of LG&E and KU.
Customers who participate in the Demand Conservation program can arrange to have their thermostat replaced — at no charge — by contacting LG&E or KU at 1-866-857-2665. GoodCents technicians working on behalf of LG&E or KU will do the work, or affected customers can directly contact one of the HVAC companies which are assisting LG&E and KU in the replacement effort.
As another option, the customer can contact an HVAC company of their choice to do the work and the customer will be reimbursed by LG&E or KU by providing the old thermostat and their paid invoice.
"The innovative Demand Conservation program has been a tremendous success," said Hermann. "We regret any inconvenience caused by this issue but feel the decision to err on the side of caution is the right one."
Louisville Gas and Electric Company and Kentucky Utilities Company, part of the PPL Corporation (NYSE: PPL) family of companies, are regulated utilities that serve a total of 1.2 million customers and have consistently ranked among the best companies for customer service in the United States. LG&E serves 321,000 natural gas and 397,000 electric customers in Louisville and 16 surrounding counties. KU serves 543,000 customers in 77 Kentucky counties and five counties in Virginia. More information is available at www.lge-ku.com and www.pplweb.com.
