CLECO's fan drive success thanks to community

PINEVILLE – From mid-April until the end of May, Cleco employees, along with local businesses, brought in more than 1,000 fans through Cleco’s fan drive. Cleco will distribute the fans to councils on aging throughout its service territory to help recipients stay cooler this summer and save money on their electricity bill.

To help raise money to purchase fans, Cleco employees cleaned up after a balloon and pie toss, ate their way through a bake sale and took their chances on raffles. Employee-driven fan drive committees led the fund-raising events in each Cleco location.

“The temperatures are rising and so is the need to help the elderly stay comfortable this summer,” said Roxane Barnes, director of community affairs. “Fans can be a lifesaver for those without air conditioning or those on fixed incomes who cannot afford to operate their air conditioners. Our fan drive is a community effort, and we want to thank the community for helping us help someone in need.”

This is Cleco’s 8th year to hold its fan drive, which has historically helped seniors through local councils on aging and other non-profit organizations.

“The elderly are not the only ones who can benefit from a fan,” said Barnes. “During the summer customers use more energy because of our hot climate, making electricity bills higher. Fans help make the air feel 10 degrees cooler.”

Cleco offers the following tips to help conserve energy and lower electricity bills during the summer:

•Set the thermostat at 78 degrees or higher if comfort allows.

•Do not run heat-producing appliances during the heat of the day.

•Experts recommend setting water heaters at 120 degrees for efficiency.

•Operate dishwashers, clothes washers and dryers only when loads are full.

•Use compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) in the most frequently used lights. CFLs use 75 percent less energy than standard incandescent bulbs and can last up to 10 times longer.

•Close shades and drapes to keep the sunlight from warming up a home.

•Change or clean the filters in a home’s air return monthly.

Senior citizens in need of a fan should contact their local council on aging.