Louisville Gas and Electric Company's (LG&E) customers donated at record-levels to the Community Winterhelp Program for the month of December 2005.

In an effort to help customers cope with record-high national costs of natural gas, LG&E announced in November 2005 it would match $2 for every $1 donated by residential customers to the Community Winterhelp program — an increase of four times the traditional 50-cent match.

LG&E customers responded to the announcement by donating at record levels. In November 2005, more than 3,000 LG&E customers donated and LG&E matched their contributions to total more than $48,000. In December 2005, more than $56,000 was collected and matched by the company.

By way of comparison, the program collected $29,000 in December 2004. Donations for December 2005 mark an increase of 93 percent over 2004.

Community Winterhelp is a nonprofit program that helps customers in financial crises pay their heating bills. Since 1983, Community Winterhelp has raised over $4 million, with approximately $1 million of that donated by LG&E. The dollars raised have helped more than 23,000 families pay their heating bills over the years.

"We thank our customers for assisting us in helping our community's most vulnerable citizens cope with the consequences of a national issue," said Dave Vogel, E.ON U.S. Vice President of Retail Services. "We will continue to match residential customer donations $2-for-$1 through March 2006 and encourage our customers to contribute to the program."

Residential customers may donate to Community Winterhelp by rounding their monthly utility bill up to the nearest dollar, by making a monthly pledge or through a one-time contribution. LG&E has established a $200,000 matching fund to supplement all residential customer donations.

Community Winterhelp funds are distributed based on income; however, income guidelines are generally less restrictive than other programs. Donations are tax-deductible. For more information on Community Winterhelp and other heating assistance programs, visit www.eon-us.com.



E.ON U.S., headquartered in Louisville, Ky., is a subsidiary of E.ON A.G., the world's largest investor-owned energy services provider. E.ON U.S. is a diversified energy services company that owns and operates Louisville Gas and Electric Company, a regulated utility that serves 318,000 natural gas and 390,000 electric customers in Louisville and 16 surrounding counties, and Kentucky Utilities Company, a regulated electric utility in Lexington, Ky., that serves 518,000 customers in 77 Kentucky counties and five counties in Virginia.