Charleston, W.Va., November 14, 2007 – Appalachian Power is encouraging customers to contribute toward paying the electric heating bills for people in need, and the company is leading the effort by example. This year the company will contribute $105,000 toward the program.
           
Appalachian Power’s Neighbor-to-Neighbor Program is conducted each year in cooperation with human service agencies in West Virginia, Virginia and Tennessee. The program allows Appalachian Power customers to contribute money toward the payment of low-income customers’ winter energy bills, when usage is the highest. In addition to money contributed by customers, company stockholders are contributing $105,000 to the program, $50,000 in West Virginia and Virginia and $5,000 in Tennessee.
Since the program began in 1983, customers and stockholders have contributed approximately $5.2 million to help pay the energy bills of nearly 80,000 needy customers in West Virginia and Virginia. In Tennessee the program started in 1986 and since then customers and stockholders have contributed approximately $336,000 to help pay bills for nearly 3,700 customers.
           
The eligibility of recipients is determined and funds are distributed in West Virginia by the Department of Health and Human Resources; in Virginia by the Department of Social Services, and in Tennessee by the Upper East Tennessee Human Development Agency. All funds contributed to the program go directly to help those in need, with administrative costs borne by Appalachian and the outside agency.
           
Contributions to the program are accepted through February 29. Customers who wish to contribute should make their checks payable to “Appalachian Power, Neighbor-to-Neighbor Program” and send them to Appalachian Power. Contributions are tax deductible and those making donations will receive a receipt.
           
The company reports that during the winter of 2006-2007, customers contributed $54,953 to the program. With the company’s contribution, more than $209,953 went toward the electric bills of nearly 2,570 customers.
           
By state, the contributions breakdown for 2006-2007 was as follows:

State	Customer Contribution	Company Contribution	Total Contribution	Customers Helped
West Virginia	$16,730	$  50,000	$ 66,730	1,161
Virginia	$34,503	$100,000	$134,500	1,303
Tennessee	$ 3,719	$    5,000	$   8,719	105
Total	$54,952	$155,000	$209,949	2,569

 

Deloitte and Touche again has volunteered its services to audit the Neighbor-to-Neighbor program.

Appalachian Power provides electricity to 1 million customers in Virginia, West Virginia and Tennessee (as AEP Appalachian Power). It is a unit of American Electric Power, one of the largest electric utilities in the United States, with more than 5 million customers in 11 states. AEP ranks among the nation’s largest generators of electricity, owning nearly 36,000 megawatts of generating capacity in the U.S. AEP also owns the nation’s largest electricity transmission system, a nearly 39,000-mile network that includes more 765 kilovolt extra-high voltage transmission lines than all other U.S. transmission systems combined.
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