Roanoke, Va., December 12, 2008 – Just before winter officially begins, Appalachian Power announced that the company and its stockholders are doubling contributions to heating assistance programs in West Virginia, Virginia and Tennessee, providing $210,000 to help low-income customers pay winter heating bills.
 
Appalachian Power is affiliated with two heating assistance programs in its service territory, the Neighbor-to-Neighbor program for customers in Virginia and Tennessee, and the West Virginia Utility Assistance Program in West Virginia. The increased contributions include $100,000 each for West Virginia and Virginia, and $10,000 in Tennessee.
 
Both of the heating assistance programs are oriented toward customer contributions, although Appalachian has historically supported the programs with contributions or matching funds.  The funds are distributed by human services organizations in each state.
 
"These programs help thousands of people stay safe and warm during the coldest months of the year," said Dana Waldo, Appalachian Power president and COO. "We're pleased to be able to increase our contribution at a time when the needs may be greater than in years past."
 
Social services organizations rely on a variety of funding sources including the federal Low Income Heating Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). In September, the US Department of Health and Human Services announced $5.1 billion in funding for LIHEAP this fiscal year. That is the highest funding level in the program's history and nearly double the 2008 funding level.
 
Customer contributions to the Neighbor-to-Neighbor fund and the West Virginia Utility Assistance Program are critical. Contributions to the Neighbor-to-Neighbor program are accepted through February 28. Customers who wish to contribute should make their checks payable to "Appalachian Power, Neighbor-to-Neighbor Program" and send them to Appalachian Power, P.O. Box 24404, Canton, OH 44701-4404. The tax deductible contributions are distributed in the state in which they originate, and those making donations will receive a receipt.
 
Since the Neighbor-to-Neighbor program began in 1983, customers and stockholders have contributed approximately $5.4 million to help pay the energy bills of nearly 82,000 needy customers in West Virginia and Virginia. In Tennessee the program started in 1986 and since then customers and stockholders have contributed approximately $345,000 to help pay bills for more than 3,800 customers.
 
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 (NYSE: AEP), 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 38,000 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.                                                                         ###