Public Service Company of Oklahoma announced it will match up to $65,000 in financial contributions by its customers in 2004 to The Salvation Army’s Light A Life Fund.

Stuart Solomon, PSO President and Chief Operating Officer, said the contribution is one way the company is helping Oklahomans in need pay their energy bills.  The PSO match will be applied to contributions that customers make to Light A Life, a year-round program that helps families facing financial emergencies to pay for the energy they need to heat and cool their homes.  Light A Life is administered by the Salvation Army and operates in 39 Oklahoma counties served by PSO.

 “We are certainly glad to help The Salvation Army with this effort and to encourage more of our customers to get involved,” said Solomon.  “Our customers have always been generous when it comes to helping others.  By simply paying a little extra on their electric bill, especially this summer when Oklahomans need it most, our customers can make a difference.”

Since 1986, Light A Life has been helping Oklahoma families who could not otherwise afford to heat and cool their homes.  

In addition, PSO pays all administrative costs for the Light A Life program so that all the proceeds can go to help those who need it most.

The announcement is part of PSO’s Home Energy Aid Week activities.  PSO, along with The Salvation Army, Oklahoma Natural Gas and Oklahoma Gas and Electric and the Oklahoma Masons are sponsoring activities through July 25 to increase awareness and raise funds for the Salvation Army’s home energy assistance program

PSO is an electric utility company serving more than 500,000 customers in eastern and southwestern Oklahoma.  Based in Tulsa, PSO has more than 4,000 megawatts of generating capacity and offers some of the lowest energy prices in the United States.

American Electric Power owns more than 36,000 megawatts of generating capacity in the United States and is the nation´s largest electricity generator.  AEP is also one of the largest electric utilities in the United States, with more than 5 million customers linked to AEP’s 11-state electricity transmission and distribution grid.  The company is based in Columbus, Ohio.