Fact: It is true that Floridians' electric bills are generally lower during cooler months, but while your heater may not be on all the time, heating your home is actually two to three times more expensive than cooling it.

Living in Florida, many people aren't aware that heaters consume a lot of energy. As the days get cooler, here are some important energy-efficient, money-saving tips to keep in mind:

-- People often take longer showers in colder weather, which increases water-heating costs. Install a low-flow showerhead to reduce the amount of water you use, and try to keep showers to six minutes or less.

-- On cool, sunny days, open blinds and curtains to let the sunlight help warm your home.

-- If a ceiling fan has a switch to reverse the direction it spins, you can operate the fan in the opposite direction at a low speed. This will produce a gentle updraft, which moves warmer air downward into the living space.

-- When heating, make sure to set your thermostat as low as comfort permits. Each degree above 68 degrees adds 2-3 percent to the amount of energy needed for heating.

-- If you tend to use your heating system often in the winter, schedule a tune-up now to make sure it will be operating at maximum efficiency during the coldest months.

Visit www.FPL.com for more money-saving tips during Energy Awareness Month.

Florida Power & Light Company

Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) is the largest electric utility in Florida and one of the largest rate-regulated utilities in the United States. FPL serves 4.5 million customer accounts in Florida and is a leading employer in the state with nearly 11,000 employees. The company consistently outperforms national averages for service reliability while customer bills are well below the national average. A clean energy leader, FPL has one of the lowest emissions profiles and the No. 1 energy efficiency program among utilities nationwide. FPL is a subsidiary of Juno Beach, Fla.-based FPL Group, Inc. (NYSE: FPL). For more information, visit www.FPL.com.

SOURCE: Florida Power & Light Company

Florida Power & Light Company 
Sharon Bennett, 305-552-3888

Bunnell Mayor Catherine Robinson issued an official proclamation designating Oct. 15 as "Energy Awareness Day" in the city. Many of the money-saving, energy-conserving solutions demonstrated today in Bunnell can be adopted by any FPL customers who want to make smarter, cleaner energy choices. The energy efficiency upgrades combined have the potential to save customers as much as 25 percent on their utility bills each year.

"It is a myth that homeowners must make major financial investments and home improvements to make a difference," said Larry Volenec, FPL's external affairs area manager. "The money-saving, energy-conserving solutions that FPL demonstrated today in our Home Energy Makeovers can be easily replicated at a low cost."

Approximately 50 Home Energy Makeover team members, including FPL energy experts, city employees and volunteers made energy-efficient upgrades that included:

-- Inserting refrigerator and freezer thermometers

-- Installing weather stripping

-- Installing water-saving showerheads and faucets

-- Installing lifetime air conditioning filters

-- Installing compact fluorescent lights

The Home Energy Makeover initiative leverages the combined power of FPL employees with contractor partners to tackle 50 homes in one day. Entire neighborhoods benefit from energy efficiency as customers save thousands of dollars on electric costs.

To complete 50 Home Energy Makeovers in one day, volunteers and energy experts visited the homes of residents who were pre-qualified by the City of Bunnell through an application process. The teams spent one to two hours in each home, making the upgrades and educating homeowners about other no- or low-cost measures they can take to further reduce their energy use. Many of the homeowners are senior citizens living on fixed incomes.

Since the program's inception in 2006, more than 300 homes in the counties of St. Lucie, Miami-Dade, Sarasota, Broward, Palm Beach, Brevard and now Flagler are able to enjoy more energy-efficient homes.

FPL encourages its residential customers to visit the Energy Savings Toolkit section at www.FPL.com and take an online Home Energy Survey to find out how they can make their homes more energy-efficient.

Florida Power & Light Company

Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) is the largest electric utility in Florida and one of the largest rate-regulated utilities in the United States. FPL serves 4.5 million customer accounts in Florida and is a leading employer in the state with nearly 11,000 employees. The company consistently outperforms national averages for service reliability while customer bills are well below the national average. A clean energy leader, FPL has one of the lowest emissions profiles and the No. 1 energy efficiency program among utilities nationwide. FPL is a subsidiary of Juno Beach, Fla.-based FPL Group, Inc. (NYSE: FPL). For more information, visit www.FPL.com.

SOURCE: Florida Power & Light Co.

Florida Power & Light Co. 
Sharon Bennett, 305-552-3888

In Florida, FPL has been investing in numerous improvements -- including infrastructure upgrades that prevent outages before they occur, business and home energy surveys to help customers save money, renewable solar power for a clean-energy future and more efficient power plants that save fuel -- to put all the pieces together for a stronger, smarter, cleaner and more efficient electric system.

"We are proud to have one of the cleanest emissions ratings in our class, service reliability that outpaces the national average despite a storm-prone climate and the No. 1 energy efficiency program in the country -- but at the same time, we want to help customers take control of their own energy usage," FPL President and CEO Armando J. Olivera said. "During Energy Awareness Month, we hope that Floridians will seize opportunities to learn more about what they can do to help build a stronger, smarter, cleaner energy future."

Throughout the month of October, look for energy efficiency tips, exciting announcements and other ways to learn more about energy. Kicking off a five-week series, here's Money-Saving Myth Buster #1:

Myth: "I have no control over my electric bill."

Fact: You DO have control over your energy usage, and FPL can help in a number of ways. Simple changes around your home or business can add up to big savings on your monthly electric bill. Explore FPL's interactive online house to discover money-saving ideas for every room in your home.

To get you started on managing your energy usage, here are some general household energy efficiency tips:

FPL's Top Ten Tips to Save Energy (and Money)

1. Clean or replace your air conditioner's filter every month to help your unit run more efficiently and reduce its energy consumption.

2. Cool your home at 78deg or warmer with the thermostat fan switch on "auto." For additional savings, raise your thermostat to 82deg or warmer when you're away from home.

3. Heat your home at 68deg or cooler with the thermostat fan switch on "auto." To save even more, lower your thermostat to 65deg or cooler at bedtime or when you're away from home.

4. Install a programmable thermostat that you can set to adjust your home's temperature automatically so you can be comfortable when you're home and saving money when you're not.

5. Turn off ceiling fans when you leave a room. A fan that runs constantly can cost up to $7 a month depending on size and age.

6. Avoid pre-rinsing dishes before putting in dishwasher to save up to $70 a year.

7. Limit the time you run your pool pump to no more than six hours a day in the summer and no more than four hours a day in the winter.

8. Adjust the water level on your washing machine to match the load size, especially when using hot water. Always use a cold rinse.

9. Clean the lint filter in your dryer before every load to dry your clothes faster.

10. Use your dryer's auto-dry sensor, if equipped, to conserve energy by not over-drying your clothes.

Florida Power & Light Company

Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) is the largest electric utility in Florida and one of the largest rate-regulated utilities in the United States. FPL serves 4.5 million customer accounts in Florida and is a leading employer in the state with nearly 11,000 employees. The company consistently outperforms national averages for service reliability while customer bills are well below the national average. A clean energy leader, FPL has one of the lowest emissions profiles and the No. 1 energy efficiency program among utilities nationwide. FPL is a subsidiary of Juno Beach, Fla.-based FPL Group, Inc. (NYSE:FPL). For more information, visit www.FPL.com.

SOURCE: Florida Power & Light Company

Florida Power & Light Company 
Sharon Bennett, 305-552-3888

The DeSoto Next Generation Solar Energy Center is one of three new commercial-scale, renewable, solar power plants Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) is building in Florida, along with solar energy centers in Martin County and at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. Together, these will total 110MW of capacity by the end of 2010.

Eric Silagy, vice president and chief development officer of FPL, said: "Large-scale solar projects such as FPL's DeSoto Next Generation Solar Energy Center provide Florida with the opportunity to create and attract more clean-energy jobs and produce millions of dollars in new revenue for local governments while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and fighting the effects of climate change."

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