FEATURE/Feast on Comfort, Safety and Savings This Holiday Season.

Energy Editors/Feature Editors

FEATURE...Holiday Cooking & Traditions

JUNO BEACH, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 15, 2003

It is the start of the season for holiday traditions - including family feasts, visiting relatives and decorative lighting, which means plenty of fun for the holidays, but can also lead to increased energy use and the potential for higher bills. Florida Power & Light Company (NYSE:FPL), one of the nation's premier energy providers, wants to help consumers keep energy costs down and safety awareness up during this busy, festive time of year.

With over 75 years of experience as a power provider, FPL has developed important tips to help residents save on electricity while keeping safe during the holiday season.

"There is a tendency for increased energy needs during the holidays, but FPL has some important tips to help consumers limit usage and cut costs," said Bill Hamilton, vice president of customer service for FPL. "Visitors and guests boost the amount of hot water and air conditioning or heating that you use, and holiday parties mean extra cooking and baking. So conservation is more important than ever."

FPL recommends the following tips:

Lighting

-- Use holiday lights with half-watt bulbs. These cost 48 cents

per string for a month compared to five-watt lights that cost

$1.20 per string for the month.

-- Never use indoor lighting outside.

-- Check lights for damage, and throw away broken strings.

-- When decorating outdoors, always look up first. Don't raise

ladders or other extended objects into or near power lines.

-- Before installing outdoor lights on trees, make sure tree

limbs haven't grown into or near electric lines, as they can

become energized.

-- Don't place cords under rugs, appliances or other objects, as

they may overheat if covered or become worn and cause a fire.

-- Secure cords so that pets and toddlers are unable to play with

them.

-- Use no more than three sets of lights on a single extension

cord to prevent overheating and reduce the chance of fire.

-- Always turn off decorative lights when you leave home or go to

bed.

Heating and Air Conditioning

-- During cold weather, keep the heating thermostat set at

68 degrees. Reduce the setting to 65 degrees when leaving the

home or while sleeping for even more energy efficiency.

-- When using air conditioning, cool your home at 78 degrees or

warmer with the thermostat fan switch on "auto." For

additional savings, raise your thermostat to 82 degrees or

warmer when you're away from home.

-- A ceiling fan can help keep a room comfortable at higher

thermostat settings; just remember to turn it off when you

leave the room. The energy needed to run a fan constantly

costs $7 a month.

-- Clean or replace air conditioning and heating filters monthly.

Water Heating 

-- Set the water heater temperature to 120 degrees to control the

cost of showers, dishwashing, cooking, and cleaning that comes

along with houseguests.

-- When cleaning up in the kitchen, avoid pre-rinsing dishes

before putting them in the dishwasher. It can save up to $70 a

year.

-- Install low-flow showerheads to reduce hot water used during

long, cool-weather showers. These showerheads can pay for

themselves in as little as a few weeks.

Other

-- Laundry: Adjust the water level on your washing machine to

match the load size, especially when using hot water and

always use a cold rinse. Clean the lint filter in your dryer

before every load to dry your clothes faster and save money.

-- Food storage: Keep the refrigerator set at 38-40 degrees for

maximum energy efficiency. The freezer works most efficiently

when it is as full as possible.

Any time of year, consumers across the nation can access valuable information on energy conservation with FPL's Energy Advisor at http://www.FPL.com. Simply click on "For Your Home" and "Home Energy Advisor" to take advantage of advanced features such as easy-to-use calculators that tell you how much you're spending to run specific appliances; unbiased advice to help make the right major appliance purchase; and tips on how simple changes to daily habits can save you money.

FPL customers can also click on the Online Home Energy Survey to obtain expert analysis of energy use in their own homes and personalized recommendations for savings. They can try the "What if?" feature to see how changing habits or buying new appliances will change their electric bill. A customized, printable report provides detailed action steps for lowering bills and links to FPL programs to help customers save further.

Florida Power & Light Company is the principal subsidiary of FPL Group, Inc. (NYSE:FPL), nationally known as a high quality, efficient and customer-driven organization focused on energy-related products and services. With annual revenues of more than $8 billion and a growing presence in 24 states, FPL Group is widely recognized as one of the country's premier power companies. Florida Power & Light Company serves more than 4 million customer accounts in Florida. FPL Energy, Inc., FPL Group's energy-generating subsidiary, is a leader in producing electricity from clean and renewable fuels. Additional information is available on the Internet at http://www.FPL.com, http://www.FPLGroup.com and http://www.FPLEnergy.com.

Note to Editors: High-resolution logos and executive head shots are available for download at http://www.fpl.com/news/contents/logos.shtml .