GCPUD Press Release

Sharing the Warmth
Fund Supported by Customer Donations and Matched by Washington state

November 13, 2006

EPHRATA -- Recent unseasonably cold temperatures gave us a glimpse of pending winter weather which means Grant County PUD electric bills will start to increase.

You can assist those in your community who will need extra help with winter electric bills by contributing to Grant PUD’s Share the Warmth fund. Those in need of our help are our neighbors -- often elderly folks on fixed incomes, single parent families trying to make ends meet, or just people who find themselves in difficult situations where they are not able to pay their electric bills. We anticipate many of our customers will request financial help in the coming months, and we find that the current fund balance may be unable to meet these needs.

The Share the Warmth fund, administered by North Columbia Community Action Council, is particularly valuable because the state of Washington matches monies received through this program. Often the individuals who receive the funds from Share the Warmth do not qualify for other funding sources because they may be just above the poverty level.

Grant PUD customers have been very generous in the past. In 2005, total contributions topped $26,400; an increase of $6,000 over 2004 contributions. The total benefit to our communities in the last four years has been over $165,000, thanks to the dollar-for-dollar match from the state.

Every little bit you give helps those in our communities who are in need of assistance. Here’s an idea – simply round up your payment to the nearest $5. Just think what a difference those small contributions would make if we all pitched in to help.

Look for the box on your electric bill and include a contribution to Share the Warmth with your next payment. Currently, those Share the Warmth contributions can be added to your account payment by check or by cash at local PUD offices.

Contributions are tax deductible. Thanks for your help!

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Grant County Public Utility District is a Washington state municipal corporation that began electric service in 1942. Owned by the people it serves, Grant PUD generates and sells electricity to Grant County residents and millions of customers throughout Central Washington and the Pacific Northwest. The Priest Rapids Project, comprised of Priest Rapids and Wanapum Dams, produces nearly 2,000 megawatts of clean, renewable and reliable electricity – enough to supply a city the size of Seattle. A leader in science based technology; Grant PUD is committed to finding effective measures for the protection, mitigation and enhancement of salmon, steelhead and other natural and cultural resources.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Gary Garnant
(509) 754-5027 / ggarnan@gcpud.org