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With the heat of summer just around the corner, the Cleco Corporation wants to help elderly residents chill out.
That’s why for the 10th-straight year, the company is holding a fan fundraiser and accepting fan donations.
These fans will be sent to local councils on aging in Cleco’s service territory for distribution.
“Air conditioning is important during Louisiana’s hot summer months,” said Anthony Bunting, Cleco vice president of customer services and energy delivery. “But keeping cool can be critical for the elderly because getting too hot can be more than uncomfortable – it can be deadly.”
St. Mary Parish is included in Cleco’s territory, and senior citizens looking to receive a fan should contact the St. Mary Council on Aging.
The fan drive began April 5 and will continue until May 27. Anyone in the community interested in joining the effort is encouraged to drop off a fan at any Cleco customer service office. Cleco spokeswoman Robbyn Cooper said fans will be distributed to the local councils on aging around June 1.
“We know that the elderly are more susceptible to health problems from heat exhaustion or various other conditions, so we want to make sure that we are doing what we can to help them,” she said.
Cooper said the company raised $22,000 for fans last year, allowing Cleco to provide 50 or more fans to all of their councils on aging.
“For some of the agencies, we were even able to go higher than that because they had a greater need,” she noted. “We had more resources, and we were able to help them out.”
Along with the fan drive, Cleco will also offer tips to help customers manage their electric bills.
These tips can be found on the company’s Web site – Cleco.com. The first suggestion is to use box or ceiling fans during the summer.
“Fans help keep the air 10 degrees cooler, because it circulates the air,” said Cooper. “That helps you set your thermostat higher. The suggested setting is 78 degrees during the summer.”
Cooper added 78 degrees is the suggested thermostat setting during the summer, but every degree someone could raise it helps lower their energy bill.
Other suggestions are to use heat-generating appliances in the evening, keep drapes closed during the summer, and use compact fluorescent light bulbs.
“Those [bulbs] use 75 percent less energy,” said Cooper. “They give off less heat so you’re not heating up your house, and they last longer.”
Janice Mitchell (third from left), Outreach Coordinator for the St. Mary Council on Aging, poses with Cleco employees (from left to right) Gwen Olivier, Kenneth Bowers, Vanessa Romero, Kenny Gilmore and Charlene Guillotte. * Photo courtesy of CLECO CORP.
