Insights > Entergy's Tree Giveaway Helps Customers Plant Trees, Make Memories

Entergy's Tree Giveaway Helps Customers Plant Trees, Make Memories

08/14/2020

For many customers spending more time at home during the quarantine, Entergy’s spring tree giveaway produced a harvest of fun outdoor activities for the whole family to enjoy.

Entergy provided 1,000 free trees to customers who signed up for the Arbor Day Foundation’s Energy-Saving Trees program, along with guidance on where to plant trees to maximize their energy-saving benefits. Since Entergy launched its program two years ago, 3,700 customers have received free trees to plant at home.

The program provides education about smartly planting trees for shade and other energy-saving benefits, as well as making sure power lines are avoided.

Participants who responded to a follow-up survey gave the program a net promoter score of 73.68, which indicates how likely on a scale of 100 they would be to recommend it to others. When asked why they would recommend the Energy-Saving Trees program, their answers included:

  • “We planted the tree as a family at our new home. I’m so thankful for the opportunity to request a tree, plant it and take care of it and watch it grow.”

  • “This was an excellent program to help teach my children the importance of trees.”

  • “This was a fun and family-friendly way to spend time together and beautify my family’s world!”

  • “My tree arrived healthy and ready to plant! I desperately need shade in my back yard and to help shade the back of the house from morning sun.”

In addition to benefits for customers, the program creates advantages for communities and the environment. Powered by Entergy’s Environmental Initiatives Fund and the company’s vegetation management organization since fall 2018, the tree giveaway is projected to avoid or capture more than 17.7 million pounds of carbon, absorb nearly 39,000 pounds of other air pollutants and filter nearly 71 million gallons of stormwater over the next 20 years.

For Entergy’s investment of approximately $160,000, the combined projected energy savings and community benefits exceed $1.5 million.

“It’s amazing that something as simple as planting a tree can improve our lives in so many different ways,” said Kelli Dowell, Entergy’s director of environmental policy who manages the Environmental Initiatives Fund. “It’s also an activity that promotes thinking about the future and how taking action today can make the world a better place for years to come. Entergy’s tree giveaway fits perfectly with our commitment to sustainability and our focus on creating environmental, social and financial benefits for all of our stakeholders.”

“We’re encouraged by the enthusiastic feedback we continue to receive for our tree-planting partnerships with Entergy and other companies,” said Kristen Bousquet, the Arbor Day Foundation’s program manager. “Engaging families in strategic tree planting and care helps protect the environment and reduce the impacts of climate change while improving the quality of our air and supporting water and soil management.”

Customers can follow Entergy on social media and watch for new opportunities to reserve free trees from Entergy this fall.

Related Articles: