(Philadelphia, PA – March 30, 2006) – An outreach program initiated by the Philadelphia Gas Works (PGW) in the fall to encourage low-income customers to sign up for the utility’s Customer Responsibility Program (CRP) is paying off.

As of the end of February, a record 71,000 customers were signed up for PGW’s Customer Responsibility Program (CRP), which provides affordable gas service based on a customer’s income. This compares to 63,000 customers enrolled in the program at this time last year.

The CRP option is available to PGW customers who have income that is at or below 150 percent of the Federal Poverty Level. Customers who are enrolled in the program are billed between 8 percent and 10 percent of their household income, depending on their monthly income and the number of persons in their household. The program, approved by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC), is consistent with mandatory PUC guidelines for all utilities in Pennsylvania.

“Anticipating increasing energy costs over the winter months, PGW initiated a number of programs in the fall to reach out to customers,” said Doug Oliver, PGW Director of Corporate Communications. “As a result, more and more people are getting the word that help is available.”

Among the initiatives to reach more low-income customers, PGW formed “Street Teams” to go to neighborhoods, door to door, to hand out information on energy assistance and conservation programs, held a series of community workshops to help customers lower their gas bills, conducted energy assistance training and worked with numerous social service agency staff members, and included detailed information on assistance programs with all non-payment shutoff notices.

Customers who are having difficulties keeping up with their bill payments, or who may have received a shutoff notice, are urged to contact PGW as soon as possible at 215-235-1777.

PGW, founded in 1836, is the largest municipally owned natural gas utility in the nation and provides service to more than 500,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers in the City of Philadelphia.