By Page Leggett
Duke Energy
Ken Muth feels called to help his clients save energy. Muth, who lives in Northern Kentucky, is one of about six dozen government and community relations managers across Duke Energy’s service areas in the Midwest, Florida and the Carolinas.
Ken Muth is a modern-day Johnny Appleseed. But he’s not planting apple trees and extolling their benefits. He’s spreading the gospel of energy efficiency. Like Johnny Appleseed before him, Muth is an evangelist for conservation.
The Cincinnati-based government and community relations manager for Duke Energy Kentucky proactively connects the people he interacts with to energy efficiency programs.
Ken Muth worked with Paul Meier, longtime mayor of Crestview Hills, for example.
“We ran their city building through our Small Business Energy Saver program,” Muth said, “and updated all fluorescent lighting as a result.”
While Duke Energy has many such residential programs – Improve & Save and Home Energy House Call, for instance – Muth interfaces mostly with nonprofits, school systems, municipalities, and industrial and commercial customers. He introduces people to energy efficiency programs such as the Small Business Energy Saver, which helped a Kentucky nonprofit fund a lighting upgrade project.
Muth worked as a Business Energy Advisor (BEA) at Duke Energy for more than a decade. Back then, particularly between 2013 and 2015, the opportunities were everywhere.
“Most customers have updated their lighting, replacing the (fluorescent) T12 lights we used to see with more efficient LEDs,” Muth said. “Today, it’s more around smart controls, smart thermostats and ECM [electronically commutated] motors.” These variable-speed motors can adjust airflow based on the needs of the room, leading to significant energy savings compared to HVAC systems with traditional motors.
Muth moved to his current role in January 2023. And while his job may have changed, he’s still spreading the good word to help Duke Energy customers lower their energy usage and save money.
Get in on the savings
Not every city or county has a Ken Muth. If you’re a business customer and want to learn more about ways you can save, Duke Energy BEAs are ready to provide one-on-one consultations to help you find the right solutions.
Residential customers can find more ways to save here.
“I meet regularly with mayors, city administrators and other decision-makers,” he said. “If I see some opportunity, I might begin by asking a few fact-finding questions: What have you done toward saving energy? How important is saving energy – and money – to you and your company? If there’s interest – and there usually is – I’ll steer them toward the right program or have someone follow up with them. People are always receptive to an opportunity to save money.”
There isn’t the usual “what-are-you-trying-to-sell-me?” skepticism you might expect. But once in a while, someone might wonder: Why is the power company encouraging me to conserve energy?
It has happened on occasion, Muth said. So now he sometimes addresses it preemptively.
“I might head those questions off by saying something like, ‘If you’re curious about why an electric company wants you to use less electricity, let me tell you.’”
Reducing energy consumption, especially during peak hours, helps prevent grid overload and reduces the risk of outages. This translates to less wasted energy and improved reliability across the system.
On the hunt for opportunities
Helping people conserve energy was part of Muth’s life for so long that it’s now ingrained in him.
“I lived in the energy efficiency world of Duke for close to 12 years,” he said. “I still can’t go into a building without looking for opportunities. As I’ve been out interacting with our cities, counties and community partners, I’ve been able to make a number of program referrals.”
Muth’s interest in energy conservation predates his 2011 hiring at Duke Energy.
“I’ve always been a little bit of a tree-hugger type and very interested in trying to save energy and do the best things for the planet,” he said. “That’s what drove me to take the role with Duke Energy when that opportunity presented itself.”
He does more than advocate for energy efficiency. He lives it.
“We built our house in 2002 and opted for the most efficient furnaces we could source,” he said. “We didn’t do geothermal, though – and if we built a house today, we definitely would. We have LED lights throughout. I’ve got smart thermostats that I can set to occupied or unoccupied mode. And I’m always looking for air leaks. On cold days, I’ll walk around the house and feel around the doors and outlets. That’s a great time to see if you’ve got air infiltration issues.
“And we keep the blinds closed on the south facade of our house in the summer and keep them open in the winter. We get as much out of the thermal energy in the house as we can.”
On a mission
When Muth approaches someone to ask about their office’s energy efficiency, he’s on familiar turf. This is an arena he knows from lived experience.
And his willingness to ask questions has yielded big returns.
For instance, the city of Florence, has 25 municipal buildings – all of which were potential targets for energy efficiency programs. Once Muth told his contacts that some energy efficiency upgrades could yield about $22,000 a year in energy savings for the city, their interest was piqued.
Another client, St. Vincent de Paul, is building a new facility, so “Duke Energy is working with their architect and engineering team to drive the most efficient choices, products and systems,” he said.
That came about simply because Muth inquired about their energy efficiency strategy.
His clients appreciate Muth’s concern – both for the environment and for their bottom line.
“I think you drive a lot of value when you bring up these opportunities to save,” he said. “It shows that we’re looking out for our customers’ best interests.”
Muth is not only an effective ambassador for Duke Energy; he’s also advocating on behalf of planet Earth. And making a difference for all concerned. Johnny Appleseed became a hero who is now part of American folklore and has had songs written and movies made about him.
Muth doesn’t want any fanfare. He’s happy to just help people save money – and, in the process, work toward saving the planet.
This story first appeared in Duke Energy’s in-house publication; it is reprinted here with permission.