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You Won’t Believe Alabama Power’s Halloween Projects: Debunking “Energy Vampires” & Saving Bats
31 October 2025
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12 mins read

You Won’t Believe Alabama Power’s Halloween Projects: Debunking “Energy Vampires” & Saving Bats

by
  • Spooky energy myths busted: Alabama Power marked Halloween by dispelling common energy-saving myths. For example, simply turning off your heating when away doesn’t save money – it forces the system to work twice as hard later and can actually raise your bill [1]. Likewise, closing vents in unused rooms won’t improve heating and may disrupt airflow [2]. The utility is arming customers with facts to lower bills during the chilly fall/winter months.
  • Beware “energy vampires”: The company warns that many plugged-in electronics draw power even when turned off, acting like “energy vampires” sucking electricity [3]. Unused TVs, chargers, coffee makers, etc. can quietly add to bills, so Alabama Power suggests unplugging devices or using power strips to stake these hidden costs through one switch [4].
  • Bat Week conservation push: In a Halloween-themed conservation effort, Alabama Power employees built 30 bat houses to give bats safe roosts during Bat Week (the last week of October) [5] [6]. Bats face threats like white-nose syndrome (a fungus that has killed millions) and habitat loss, so these bat boxes help replace lost roosting sites [7]. Each small box can shelter 100–200 bats, so dozens of boxes can significantly aid local bat populations and the ecosystems they protect [8].
  • Experts laud bats’ benefits: “We try to take a holistic approach to protecting the environment, and bats are… super important to our ecosystem,” said Dylan Shaw, an Alabama Power environmental specialist [9]. Bats eat pests and save farmers millions by reducing crop damage [10] [11]. Alabama Power’s bat houses, painted by local schoolkids in a fun art contest, support biodiversity and educate the community – continuing a partnership from last year when it helped install bat roosts at an Anniston preserve [12] [13].
  • Strong financial performance: These community initiatives come as Alabama Power’s parent company, Southern Company, reported robust profits in Q3 2025. Net income for the quarter was $1.7 billion ($1.55/share), up from $1.5 billion a year earlier [14]. The utility’s revenue beat expectations, helped by higher usage, though milder fall weather tempered demand. CEO Chris Womack noted “momentum around electric demand growth” in Southern’s markets and said the company’s 28,000 employees are focused on providing reliable service to 9 million customers as opportunities expand [15].
  • Stock near highs, investing for growth: Southern Company’s stock (NYSE: SO) trades around $95 per share, near its 52-week high (market cap ~$105 billion) [16]. Investors remain upbeat on its steady regulated business. Alabama Power is reinvesting in reliability – in September it sold $500 million of bonds (4.30% notes due 2031) to help finance a $622 million purchase of a gas-fired plant (Lindsay Hill) [17]. This strategy of expanding generation capacity via acquisition was approved by regulators and funded without major rate hikes. In fact, strong demand for utility bonds – even with higher interest rates – shows investor confidence in the sector’s stable cash flows [18].

Busting Spooky Energy Myths to Save Money

As autumn nights grow colder and Halloween decorations glow, Alabama Power seized the seasonal spirit to help customers save energy. The company published a list of “scary” energy efficiency myth busters – using a fun Halloween theme to debunk misconceptions that often haunt households’ wallets [19].

Some of the top myths Alabama Power “exorcised” include:

  • Myth: Turning your home’s heating completely off when you’re out will save energy. Fact: This can backfire – your HVAC system then has to reheat not just air but all the cold surfaces (walls, furniture, appliances) when you return, working twice as hard and using more energy than if it maintained a steady temperature [20]. In short, don’t kill your heater; resurrecting it later is like waking Frankenstein’s monster, consuming extra power.
  • Myth:Closing air vents in unused rooms helps heat the rest of the house more efficiently. Fact: Your system is designed to circulate air with all vents open. Shutting some vents throws off balance and can reduce overall efficiency [21]. Alabama Power says your home isn’t the Bates Motel – keep those vents open so warm air flows freely to where it’s needed.
  • Myth: Electronics and chargers that are plugged in but switched off use no power. Fact: In reality, many devices quietly draw electricity in standby mode – so-called “phantom energy” use [22] [23]. Alabama Power calls these sneaky devices “energy vampires” lurking in your home [24]. For example, an idle coffee maker or TV still sipping power can add to your bill over time. The company’s advice is to unplug such devices or plug them into a power strip – that way you can turn off multiple vampires with one switch [25].
  • Myth: You can’t save energy while cooking, especially during holiday feasts. Fact: There are plenty of tricks to cook efficiently. Alabama Power suggests firing up the outdoor grill in autumn – cooking outside keeps that heat out of your kitchen so your AC or heater doesn’t work overtime [26]. Using smaller appliances like slow cookers or toaster ovens for side dishes can also cut energy use compared to heating a large oven [27]. In other words, you don’t have to channel Sweeney Todd baking “pies” all day; you can whip up seasonal delights using energy-smart methods.

To help customers act on these tips, Alabama Power also pointed to free tools and programs. The Alabama Power mobile app and My Power Usage dashboard let customers track daily energy use and set alerts, almost like a real-time ghost detector for power drains [28]. The company reminded users they can report outages, view outage maps, and manage billing through online accounts or even pay via digital wallets like Venmo or Apple Pay [29]. And an online Bill Explainer and Energy Advisor can shed light on billing questions or rate options – helping consumers avoid any scary surprises on their monthly statement [30]. All these resources aim to “scare away the wicked spirits of increased power bills” by empowering customers with information [31] [32].

Giving Bats a Safe Haven This Halloween

Halloween wouldn’t be complete without bats – and Alabama Power has been making sure the real ones are cared for. Late October coincides with National Bat Week, a time to raise awareness about bat conservation. In 2025, Alabama Power’s Environmental Affairs team embraced the cause, building and installing 30 bat boxes across Alabama as “safe havens” for the flying mammals [33] [34]. It’s a timely project because bats often get a spooky reputation this season, but in reality they quietly provide huge benefits year-round.

“Bats are kind of the invisible mammal – we don’t see them a lot and probably don’t think about them a lot. But they are critical for the health of our ecosystem,” explained Dylan Shaw, an Environmental Affairs specialist with Alabama Power [35]. Bats act as natural pest controllers, devouring night-flying insects. In fact, these nocturnal predators save the U.S. agriculture industry millions of dollars by reducing crop-eating pest populations [36] [37]. Fewer bugs mean less crop damage and less need for chemical pesticides, which is a boon for farmers and the environment.

Unfortunately, many bat species face serious threats. In parts of Alabama, bats have been plagued by white-nose syndrome (WNS) – a deadly fungus that has killed millions of bats across North America [38]. Habitat loss is another major problem; as old trees or caves disappear, so do roosting spots for bats. The new bat houses aim to help on both fronts: they raise awareness (since people notice the bat boxes and learn about bats) and provide alternative roosts to replace lost natural habitat [39].

Each wooden bat box might look small – akin to a birdhouse – but it can shelter a surprisingly large colony. “Bat boxes may look small, but so are many of the bats that sleep in them,” Alabama News Center noted. A single box can hold 100–200 bats, so 30 boxes have the potential to house thousands of bats in total [40]. That’s significant in helping local bat populations recover and grow. Alabama Power volunteers assembled the boxes, and then an art class of enthusiastic students at Oxmoor Valley Elementary got to paint them in creative designs as part of a contest [41]. (Nothing says school spirit like painting bat houses during Halloween week!) Once decorated, the boxes were installed at the school campus and other strategic spots around the state where bats are known to live [42].

This isn’t Alabama Power’s first foray into bat conservation. Last year, the company partnered with the Georgia-Alabama Land Trust to put up seven bat houses at Weaver Cave Preserve in Anniston – an area home to endangered gray bats and other species. That project, funded in part by the Alabama Power Foundation, included experimental roost designs (like artificial bark “BrandenBark” roosts) alongside traditional bat boxes [43] [44]. The goal was not only to create habitat for bats but also to educate the public with signage about different bat species and their needs [45]. It’s all part of what Shaw calls a holistic approach to environmental stewardship: protecting even the little, unseen creatures that play a big role in Alabama’s ecosystem [46].

With these efforts, Alabama Power is flipping the script on the usual Halloween narrative. Bats aren’t just spooky decorations – they’re allies in our environment. And saving energy isn’t just about scary high bills – it’s about empowering consumers to take control. By tying energy tips to “spooky” myths and building bat houses during Bat Week, Alabama Power managed to make late October both fun and educational for the public.

Powering Profits While Serving the Public

Alabama Power’s high-profile community initiatives coincided with good news on the financial front. On October 30, 2025, Atlanta-based Southern Company, which owns Alabama Power, announced its third-quarter earnings – and they were strong. Southern reported $1.7 billion in Q3 2025 profit (net income), up from about $1.5 billion in the same quarter the previous year [47]. That’s roughly $1.55 per share in earnings for the quarter [48], exceeding analyst expectations (Wall Street had anticipated around $1.49-$1.50 adjusted EPS, so Southern delivered a handy beat). Revenue for Q3 reached about $7.8 billion, roughly 7.6% higher than last year’s Q3, as electricity sales ticked up with economic growth [49].

In a statement, CEO Chris Womack highlighted that the company’s robust performance comes amid rising demand for power in the Southeast. “Southern Company’s robust third quarter performance comes as the momentum around electric demand growth opportunities in our service territories continue to build,” Womack said [50]. He credited the company’s 28,000 employees for staying focused on meeting growing needs “in a way that benefits all customers while also providing premier reliability and resilient service for our 9 million customers” [51]. In other words, as Alabama and neighboring states expand (with new industries, data centers, and population growth fueling electricity use), Southern Company is working to ensure the lights stay on and rates remain fair.

Womack’s emphasis on “premier reliability” and customer-centric service dovetails with the on-the-ground projects like the bat boxes and energy workshops. For a power company, community trust and goodwill are important assets. Alabama Power’s seasonal tips and stewardship efforts likely help strengthen customer relationships – which is especially valuable as the company pursues new growth areas (like recruiting businesses to Alabama or rolling out electric vehicle infrastructure). It’s a strategic balance of solid financials and positive public impact. As Southern’s earnings show, a regulated utility can be profitable while still investing in community and sustainability.

Southern Company’s stock price reflects this steady outlook. As of the end of October 2025, Southern (ticker SO) was trading around $95 per share – not far from its all-time high [52] [53]. At ~$95, the stock was only about 5% below its 52-week peak (~$100.84) and well above its yearly low (~$80) [54]. The market capitalization is roughly $105 billion [55] [56], placing Southern among the largest utility companies in the U.S. The stock has been buoyed by investor confidence that the company will continue delivering reliable earnings (and dividends – Southern yields around 4%, which income investors love). In an uncertain economy, the regulated utility model – with its predictable revenue from millions of customers – is seen as a safe haven, not unlike a well-constructed bat box providing shelter from the storm.

Investing in Reliability and the Future

Behind the scenes, Alabama Power is making big moves to ensure it can meet future energy demand reliably – especially as the region grows and as older power plants retire. One notable development this fall was Alabama Power’s plan to acquire a major natural gas power plant to bolster its generation portfolio. In early September 2025, the company sold $500 million of senior notes (bonds), bearing a 4.30% interest rate and due in 2031, with the stated purpose of helping finance the $622 million purchase of the Tenaska-owned Lindsay Hill gas-fired plant】 [57]. State regulators gave a green light to this acquisition (pending final reviews), seeing it as a way to maintain sufficient capacity and keep the grid robust. By buying an existing modern gas plant, Alabama Power can replace or back up some aging coal units and ensure it has enough supply during peak summer or winter extremes.

What’s interesting is how eager investors were to lend Alabama Power the money. The bond issuance was well-received, part of a broader trend of utilities tapping debt markets this year. Georgia Power (a sister company) raised $1.5 billion in October, and even utilities outside the Southeast (like Puget Sound Energy in Washington state) issued long-term bonds that attracted strong demand [58]. Despite interest rates in 2025 being relatively high (after Federal Reserve hikes), utility bonds remain attractive to investors because of the stable, regulated cash flows behind them. As one analysis noted, the success of Alabama Power’s and others’ debt offerings “suggests that the utility bond market remains strong even as interest rates hover near cyclical highs” [59]. Lenders know that Alabama Power has a captive customer base and a supportive regulatory environment, so the risk of default is extremely low – making a 4.3% yield look pretty good. For the company, issuing bonds at reasonable rates provides capital to invest in power plants and grid upgrades without immediately hiking customer rates. It spreads the costs over time, aligning with the long lifespan of utility assets.

In addition to the gas plant, Alabama Power (and Southern Company broadly) have been investing in clean energy and infrastructure. In 2025, Alabama Power continued work on a new 150 MW battery storage facility at a former coal plant site (Plant Gorgas) to enhance grid reliability with cutting-edge storage technology [60]. Southern Company also finally saw its long-delayed Vogtle Unit 3 nuclear reactor (in Georgia) reach commercial operation in mid-2025, adding another carbon-free power source for the system. These projects, along with solar farms and resilience improvements, are all part of future-proofing the energy supply for Alabama and neighboring states. They also create jobs and economic development – one reason Site Selection Magazine honored Alabama Power as a “Top Utility in Economic Development” for 2025 [61].

Outlook: Finishing the Year Strong

As we head into the final two months of 2025, Alabama Power appears to be firing on all cylinders – helping customers save money, advancing environmental stewardship, and maintaining solid financial health. The company’s leadership expects a strong finish to the year. “It is that disciplined approach and our unwavering commitment to put customers at the center of all that we do that positions us to finish the year strong,” CEO Chris Womack said, expressing optimism for capturing the opportunities ahead [62]. This likely refers to continued growth in electricity demand as new industries (like automotive and technology companies) expand in the Southeast, as well as the opportunity to serve the emerging electric vehicle charging market and other electrification trends.

For Alabama consumers, the near-term outlook is cautiously positive. Thanks to Alabama Power’s guidance, many households will implement these energy-saving tips – which could soften the blow of winter heating bills. (Alabama’s winters are mild compared to northern states, but a cold snap can still send heaters into overdrive. In fact, forecasters have warned that a strong El Niño could bring unusually cold or wet weather to parts of the South in early 2026 [63], so being prepared is wise.) On the pricing front, Alabama Power’s rates are regulated by the Alabama Public Service Commission, and there’s even talk of slight rate reductions due to lower fuel costs – a welcome development after fuel-related surcharges raised bills in recent years [64]. All told, Alabama Power customers might see a bit of relief on bills going into 2025, especially if they take advantage of efficiency programs.

From an investor perspective, Southern Company remains a stable performer. Analysts generally expect the company’s earnings per share to grow in the low-to-mid single digits annually over the next few years – not explosive, but steady as a heartbeat. The utility plans to invest roughly $30 billion in capital projects from 2025 to 2027 (across all its subsidiaries) in order to upgrade the grid, add generation capacity, and reduce emissions [65] [66]. That investment is backed by a balanced approach of issuing some debt (as we saw) and equity (Southern signaled it may issue ~$9 billion in equity through 2025) [67]. Moody’s and other rating agencies have Southern Company on a stable outlook, noting that while debt levels are rising to fund projects, the regulated structure and gradual rate adjustments keep the financial profile solid [68] [69]. This means the company should be able to finance its initiatives without jeopardizing credit quality or hitting customers with drastic rate shocks. For example, Georgia Power (another Southern utility) negotiated a multiyear rate plan freezing base rates through 2028, trading short-term profits for long-term stability [70] – a philosophy Alabama Power also tends to follow with its regulators.

In summary, Halloween 2025 at Alabama Power was about more than candy and costumes – it was an opportunity to engage the public with creative energy tips and highlight often-overlooked wildlife that benefits us all. By debunking “scary” myths about home energy use, the company is helping Alabamians save money and energy. By building bat houses, it’s reinforcing its commitment to environmental stewardship in a season when bats usually get a bad rap. And beyond the seasonal flair, Alabama Power’s parent is demonstrating that it can deliver strong financial results while investing in the future – whether that’s new power plants, grid upgrades, or community initiatives. With customers, investors, and even bats better off, that’s a Halloween story with a happy ending (no tricks, all treats).

Sources: Alabama Power/Yellowhammer News [71] [72]; El-Balad News [73] [74]; Alabama NewsCenter [75] [76]; Southern Company/1819 News [77] [78]; Wall Street/ts2.tech [79] [80].

Alabama Power Television Commercial 2009 featuring LaClaire Carter
Watch this video on YouTube.

References

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Mateusz Kaczmarek Latest posts

A technology and finance expert writing for TS2.tech. He analyzes developments in satellites, telecommunications, and artificial intelligence, with a focus on their impact on global markets. Author of industry reports and market commentary, often cited in tech and business media. Passionate about innovation and the digital economy.

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