LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Hunger in the community is now being fought by a new opponent: energy efficiency.
Dare to Care Food Bank is putting more than 24,000 additional meals into the community annually thanks to savings achieved through energy efficiency upgrades made possible by Louisville Gas and Electric Company.
In December 2008, the local nonprofit's distribution center underwent a comprehensive commercial energy audit that revealed many ways energy savings could be realized. LG&E then helped Dare to Care Food Bank make those recommendations a reality with a $50,000 grant.
Specifically, older, less-efficient lighting in Dare to Care Food Bank's distribution center was replaced with higher efficiency fluorescent fixtures and lamps. Manual thermostats were retrofitted with programmable models, enabling more control over the facility's indoor temperature. By implementing these energy saving measures, Dare to Care Food Bank reduced its monthly energy usage on average by 10,000 kilowatt-hours, achieving approximately $6,000 in annual savings on its utility bills.
"We're grateful for LG&E's support in our effort to fight hunger in the community," said Brian Riendeau, Executive Director of Dare to Care Food Bank. "Their donation will continue to pay dividends for the community and our organization — we're helping more families, more often and with more meals, all by significantly cutting a monthly operating expense."
David Huff, Director of Customer Energy Efficiency and Smart Grid Strategy for E.ON U.S., parent of LG&E, added: "We are proud to partner with Dare to Care Food Bank and provide an excellent demonstration of how our energy audits identify ways to save energy to serve the people in our community. The investment in energy efficient improvements will make energy savings a lasting part of their business that enables them to feed more families in our community."
E.ON U.S. offers a portfolio of energy efficiency programs for businesses and homeowners interested in saving energy and cutting utility bills. Visit www.lge-ku.com/ee for more information.
Dare to Care Food Bank is a local nonprofit agency with a mission to end hunger in its community through partnerships, innovative programs, and community engagement. Last year, Dare to Care distributed 13.1 million pounds to over 190,000 different people in eight Kentucky and five Indiana counties. The Food Bank also operates 13 Kids Cafes in neighborhood afterschool locations and Backpack Buddy weekend nutrition programs in 22 elementary schools. For more information, visit www.daretocare.org.
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LG&E is a wholly-owned subsidiary of E.ON U.S. LLC that serves 314,000 natural gas and 389,000 electric customers in Louisville, Ky., and 16 surrounding counties.
