News Release

Project Share unable to provide cooling assistance this summer

June 18, 2009

The Project Share Board has informed Huntsville Utilities that due to a shortage of funds, there will be no assistance available to help customers pay for electric bills this summer.

Cooling assistance normally begins in July and continues through August depending on available funds. Cooling assistance has been provided the past five summers and four other times since the program began in 1988. Last summer 306 families received cooling assistance totaling $15,000.

“This past winter’s cold temperatures coupled with the TVA rate increases, just depleted the available funds for Project Share,” stated Huntsville Utilities Customer Services manager Anna Parvin.

“The Project Share board decided that the summer assistance would have to be dropped this year so that funds would be available for assistance during the more crucial winter months,” Parvin added.

During the winter months of January, February and March 2009, Project Share funds assisted 951 families in the payment of their utility bills. A total of $219,588.48 was awarded in helping these families with the gas and electric portions of their bills, an average of $230.90 per family. This was the largest disbursement of funds in the program’s history.

The Project Share program was developed to help customers 62 years of age or older, or those who are certified as disabled, pay their utility bill. Participants must be on a low or fixed income not exceeding the state household income eligibility guidelines as specified by the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs and/or the Alabama Department of Human Resources. A representative at the Salvation Army determines eligibility of fund recipients.

Since the beginning of the program in December 1988, 18,952 families have benefited from contributions totaling $2,797,013.02. One hundred percent (100%) of funds contributed to Project Share are used to assist the elderly and certified disabled with their utility bills.

One hundred percent (100%) of the tax-deductible contributions to Project Share goes directly to those in need. Only a little over 2% of Huntsville Utilities total customer base participates in the program by donating monthly. Customers are urged to include a donation each month when paying their utility bill. The utility bill conveniently provides a designated area to indicate a donation.

Huntsville Utilities is a public electric, natural gas and water utility serving customers in Madison County and northern Marshall County.