Duke Energy Indiana doubles bill assistance funding to $900,000 for qualifying Hoosiers in 2026
Duke Energy Indiana is doubling its energy assistance program for eligible customers in 2026 by increasing the shareholder investment from $450,000 to $900,000. This will be achieved using two programs: Share the Light Fund and a new Summer Energy Credit program.
Duke Energy Indiana doubles bill assistance to $900,000 for 2026
This increase from $450,000 to $900,000 is very real – and it did not come about by chance. Duke Energy Indiana has organized its increase into two separate sources of funding. The first is the Share the Light Fund that already existed, which was funded by the Duke Energy shareholders, the Duke Energy Foundation, and customer/employee donations. The second source of funding is the newly created Summer Energy Credit initiative, designed just for the year 2026.
These programs will enable qualifying Indiana residents to get an energy account credit of up to $250 per year. This sum could be very significant for families that have a hard time because of the increasing cost of living.
It is the free-of-charge Payment Assistance Finder that allows customers to get information about the local services available to them using just their zip codes.
Above-normal temperatures drive increased energy costs this summer
This increased allocation couldn’t be timelier. This year’s summer in Indiana has been unusually hot, which means more energy costs.
One specific figure will help us to understand the magnitude of the problem. In September 2026, “cooling degree days” in Indiana have already reached a level 70 percent above normal for September. This is because cooling degree days show the amount of cooling a building requires according to its outdoor temperature — the larger the number, the more the air conditioning is used by its residents. And for poor people, an abnormally hot period is especially detrimental on the financial side.
Share the Light Fund has assisted nearly 10,000 Indiana households since 2022
The Share the Light Fund isn’t new, and its track record is solid. Since 2022, it’s distributed more than $2.8 million in bill assistance to Indiana residents — with more than 9,700 households benefiting from that funding. Nearly 10,000 families got help covering energy bills, deposits, or reconnection and connection charges, costs that stack up fast when money is tight.
Duke Energy doesn’t hand these funds directly to customers. The company partners with the Indiana Community Action Association, which works through a network of local community action agencies across the state. That structure keeps distribution rooted in local communities, where caseworkers can assess need and connect residents to multiple resources at once.
How Indiana residents can apply for assistance
Application for Share the Light Fund assistance begins locally. Income, family size, and resource access vary, so the criterion for the program does not apply universally. Your first step should be contacting your local community action agency, which is responsible for determining the eligibility and will guide you through the application process. There is a directory of local services on Duke Energy’s website on a county-by-county basis.
Apart from Share the Light Fund and Summer Energy Credit, Duke Energy provides additional tools that you should be aware of. It is the free-of-charge Payment Assistance Finder that allows customers to get information about the local services available to them using just their zip codes. Usage Alerts allow informing the customers mid-way through the billing period about the amount of energy they have consumed and the costs incurred. Apart from it, there is a time-of-use tariff “Smart Usage Option,” which gives an opportunity for residential clients to reduce their expenses on moving electricity-hungry activities to non-peak hours.
A free in-home energy audit is a great way to connect you with an energy expert who will help you evaluate efficiency and offer energy saving devices. If you require more time for payment, installment payment plans are provided. More details on these services can be found at duke-energy.com/SeasonalSavings.
Duke Energy Indiana serves approximately 930,000 customers statewide
Duke Energy Indiana is the largest electric supplier in the state, providing about 6,800 megawatts of owned electric capacity to roughly 930,000 customers across a 23,000-square-mile service area.
Philanthropy on the other hand emanates from the Duke Energy Foundation, which makes community donations worth almost $30 million every year for all regions served by Duke Energy. All funding to the Duke Energy Foundation comes from Duke Energy stockholders – the same as the sources of Share the Light Fund donations.
Residents getting up to $250 in credits
As a Duke Energy Indiana bill payer in hard times, these are some important details. The corporation has doubled the amount of bill relief funding provided by the company through shareholder investments in order to make it $900,000 in 2026, divided between the Share the Light fund and the new Summer Energy Credit program, with eligible residents getting a maximum of $250 in account credits.
Eligibility is determined based on one’s income level, number of dependents in the household, and availability of resources. For more information on whether one qualifies for the programs, contact the local community action agency, and there is a county directory listing of such providers on the Duke Energy website. Other services include usage alerts and energy assessments, among others.
Kelly is an experienced writer with 15 years of experience exploring the big stories that shape our world, from tech breakthroughs and space exploration to climate, energy, and the fascinating quirks of science. She has a talent for turning complex ideas into sharp, memorable insights that stay with readers long after they’ve finished reading.
