Lights, Camera...Energy Efficiency — LG&E, KU Want to Hear Customers' Energy Savings Stories
08.19.2009


LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Customers of Louisville Gas and Electric Company and Kentucky Utilities Company could become "energy stars" by simply telling their energy savings stories at LG&E and KU's booths each weekend at the Kentucky State Fair. LG&E and KU are launching a statewide search for real people achieving real savings through energy efficiency — in exchange, customers could find themselves in LG&E and KU's advertising campaign to encourage energy efficiency as a way of life.

Each weekend of the Kentucky State Fair from 10:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., a camera crew will be based in LG&E and KU's booths, numbers 277—279 in the South Wing, to interview customers, document their stories and begin the statewide casting call for the faces of energy efficiency. Everyone who participates will receive two CFL bulbs to help further their energy efficiency efforts, and one lucky participant will win $1,000 worth of ENERGY STAR^® appliances.

The search signals the early preparation of LG&E and KU's new advertising and marketing campaign to promote energy efficiency. The new campaign is an evolution of the company's successful "Smart Saver Tips" campaign which resulted in increases in programs like the Demand Conservation.

"The public response to the Smart Saver Tips campaign has been wonderful," said Chris Whelan, Director of Communications and Brand Management for E.ON U.S., parent company of LG&E and KU. "The next logical step is to show how customers put these tips into practice and illustrate the savings."

LG&E and KU are taking a long-term strategic approach to integrating energy efficiency into customers' lives. "We view this as an evolutionary process," said Cheryl Bruner, Director of Customer Energy Efficiency for E.ON U.S. "In many ways, this is similar to changing the consumer mindset around wearing seatbelts. Today, we automatically put on our seatbelt, but a short time ago usage was not as common as it is today. Keeping energy efficiency top of mind — making it as second nature as wearing a seatbelt — is the type of attitude change we are working toward."

In addition to learning more about energy efficiency, LG&E and KU customers will have the opportunity to sign up for popular energy-saving programs like Demand Conservation and the new HVAC diagnostic and tune-up programs.

The new ad campaign will begin in the first quarter of 2010, although some testimonials featuring real people and real savings may begin to appear online and through other communications channels even earlier.



E.ON U.S. LLC, headquartered in Louisville, Ky., is a subsidiary of E.ON A.G., the world's largest investor—owned energy services provider. E.ON U.S. is a diversified energy services company that owns and operates Louisville Gas and Electric Company, a regulated utility that serves 314,000 natural gas and 389,000 electric customers in Louisville and 16 surrounding counties, and Kentucky Utilities Company, a regulated electric utility in Lexington, Ky., that serves 538,000 customers in 77 Kentucky counties and five counties in Virginia.