In the interest of public safety during these frigid temperatures, we are now restoring power to any customers who have been cut off due to non-payment, regardless of date. We are no longer requiring that they had to be cut off in the month of December.

Customers should contact us at 544-MLGW in order to have their power restored. Their balances will be paid by the City and/or County, and they will be responsible for their bills moving forward.

In addition, we are keeping the CCC open until 9 pm tonight again in order to help these customers.

MLGW will deliver 65 space heaters to the Metropolitan Interfaith Association (MIFA), today to be distributed to those in need.

To request a space heater, while supplies last, one must call MIFA Handyman at (901) 527-0208. Callers will be asked to complete a basic application over the phone to reserve their heater. They will then need to go to MIFA and sign a release form to pick up their heater. Seniors who cannot go to MIFA themselves may send a friend or family member but that person should bring the senior’s ID.

MLGW and MIFA have teamed up for several years to provide space heaters and electric blankets to those who need help to stay warm during the winter months.

MLGW is teaming with the City and County to restore power to residential customers who were cut off between Dec. 1 and 15. The City and County are providing the funds to pay these outstanding balances.

These customers must agree to have their power turned back on, so MLGW is using its autodialer system to call them, starting at 5 p.m. today. MLGW employees will begin turning power back on for these customers tonight, with field employees working overtime in order to restore power to as many customers as possible, with senior customers being a top priority. MLGW will also be going door to door tonight in an effort to notify these customers. In addition, MLGW's Customer Care Center will stay open until 9 p.m. tonight.

Below is the news release issued by The City of Memphis, Shelby County Government, and MLGW this evening.

THE CITY OF MEMPHIS , SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT , AND MEMPHIS LIGHT GAS & WATER JOIN FORCES TO HELP CITIZENS MAKE IT THROUGH RECORD LOW TEMPERATURES

Historic collaborative effort will allow residents whose utilities have been “cut-off ” to be restored through the current cold spell

Memphis, Tennessee - In response to the inclement weather that has gripped the nation and the Mid-South, Memphis Mayor A C Wharton, Jr. Shelby County (TN) Mayor Joe Ford, and Memphis Light, Gas, & Water (MLGW) President Jerry Collins this evening announced a plan to restore power to residents across the Memphis community whose utilities have been “cut-off ” for lack of payment.

This announcement comes as record low temperatures are expected in the coming days for Memphis and Shelby County.

Mayor Wharton remarked on the effort: “No amount of dollars will cause us to allow individuals to remain in peril due to their inability to pay their utility charges.” He continued, “This is life and death; we will take care of the people first and figure out the intricacies of paying for this later.”

Mayor Ford commented on the historic initiative: “When lives are at stake we must do as much as we can to protect those who are most vulnerable and most in need. We are doing just that.”

President Jerry Collins emphasized, “Working with the city and the county, MLGW is going to do everything in its power to make sure that no customer goes without heat during this unusually cold weather.”

Residents whose power has been terminated due to non-payment will receive automated calls to the telephone number associated with their MLGW account. Representatives of MLGW will be out tonight checking residences for those they are unable to reach. The “resident of record” - the individual officially listed on the MLGW account - will be able to grant permission to have their services reconnected. Currently, there are no limitations relative to past due amount.

Residents who are “cut-off” - or who think they are “cut-off ”- should call 901.544.MLGW, 901.544.6549

Cold Weather Precautions

--Open cabinet doors and turn water to a slow drip to prevent pipes from freezing.

--Wrap pipes either in pipe insulation (available at hardware stores) or with towels, clothes, etc... to prevent pipes from freezing.

--If your pipes freeze, turn off the main valve inside your house (if possible) and call MLGW's emergency contact number at 528-4465.

--Space heaters should be used safely. Do not use overnight and when no one is home. Position space heaters so they are not near flammable objects.

--More information about winter safety and preparation is available here.

Here's a little help with making those resolutions...

1. Set your thermostat to 68 degrees in winter and 78 degrees in summer. If that's too much for your comfort, pledge to lower it 2 degrees during heating season and raise it 2 degrees during cooling season.

2. Avoid paperwork! Adopt electronic billing to eliminate postage, reduce paper use and shorten that stack of documents at home waiting to be filed.

3. Check your air filter each month when your MLGW bill arrives. For customers using flat filters, change monthly. Customers using pleated filters can often go as long as three months between changes.

4. Vow to reduce your home's energy use by 10% in 2010. Complete the Home Profile and My Appliances question sets under My Account at www.mlgw.com, and then act on the recommendations. Based on recent customer survey results, customers can save an average 1,700 kWh--that's $136 a year--by making simple changes in habits and low-cost improvements.

Just a few reminders from our Winter One-Stop:


Living comfortably during a Memphis winter can be challenging, but it does not have to be costly.

What are some of the easiest ways to stay warm and save?

If you are looking for some easy and free ways to save energy and money this winter, follow these steps:

1. Set your thermostat at 68° or lower when you’re home. Every degree below 68° can save four percent on your heating bills.

2. Wear layered clothing and thick socks to keep warm, then set your thermostat even lower.

3. At bedtime, lower your thermostat and add extra blankets.

4. Lower or turn off thermostat when leaving your home for four hours or more.

5. Close garage doors, cover foundation vents, and close off vents and doors to seldom-used rooms.

6. Keep curtains and blinds closed at night and on cloudy days; open curtains on sunny days for warmth.

7. Place rolled-up towels inside against bottom of exterior doors and window sills to block wintry drafts.

8. Adjust your water heater temperature to 120° or “warm.” It still provides hot water and avoids scalding. You can lower it when not in use, too.

Low cost efforts:

1. Buy a programmable thermostat and program in lower temps when needed.

2. Make sure central heating air filters are replaced every 30-90 days.

3. Caulk cracks around windows and doors.

More costly, but savings can be much greater:

1. Install storm windows and doors.

2. Add more insulation in your attic.

3. Install new energy-efficient furnace or water heater with Energy Star endorsement.

The City has collected over 2,000 truck loads of leaves; however, public demand for removal in 2009 has been greater than in previous years.

To assist residents who may not wish to wait for curbside collection, Public Works has opened two free bagged leaves drop-off locations:

1. 304 Collins Street (between Poplar Ave. and Sam Cooper Blvd)

2. The northwest corner of Airways and Lamar

The sites will be open December and January, Monday through Saturday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. except on holidays.

Monitors will be present, but residents must unload the bags.

Also, the sites will accept Christmas trees after the holiday, but nothing else.

The Memphis Daily News ran an article today about MLGW's efforts to reduce bad debt through the use of collection services. The article also touches on various payment and assistance programs offered by MLGW. ABC 24 is also doing a story on this issue this evening. Chris Stanley spoke with both media outlets and covered the following key messages:

--Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division is seeking to hire a company - or companies - to help recover millions of dollars its customers owe. MLGW has issued a request for proposals to firms that can provide collection services, and bids are due next month.

--Over the past year, MLGW has reported $17 million in uncollected customer debt. That’s about 30 percent higher than the utility’s unpaid debt from three years ago. The current total is up from $15.2 million in 2008, $11.6 million in 2007 and $12.7 million in 2006.

--MLGW does not have a dedicated department to help collect debt right now.

--MLGW has about 30 percent of its residential customer base in arrears at any given time. The utility company also has several factors determining when utilities can and can’t be shut off. The factors include weather conditions, staffing levels and moratoriums.

--MLGW has a handful of programs it touts as a means to help struggling consumers pay their monthly bills. Among them is the ability to make payment arrangements online by visiting www.mlgw.com/payarrange.

--MLGW also has a program called “Budget Billing,” designed around the goal of allowing customers to pay the same fixed amount on their utility bills every month. An average is taken from a customer’s utility bills over two six-month periods from the previous year - April to September and October to March - and that average is supposed to be what’s paid.

--MLGW’s move to better coordinate its debt collection is something that ultimately will help ratepayers by helping us to stave off rate increases.

The Daily News article can be found here.

From today's Commercial Appeal...

Depleted funds end Memphis, Shelby County used tire program
By Amos Maki

After just three days in operation, the Memphis-Shelby County Tire Redemption Program will end today after an overwhelming community response drained the $100,000 in funding.

"We're victims of our own success," said Shelby County Commissioner Steve Mulroy, who created the program along with City Council chairman Harold Collins.

People in line by noon today at Mac's Tire Recycling Center at 3000 Elvis Presley will still be given vouchers to redeem for payment, but that will end the program, which began Friday. People who show up after noon today will not get a voucher, but they can still dispose of their tires at the facility.

Mulroy said his passion for the program was "untiring" and that he and Collins would probably ask the council and commission for more funds to continue the program when they reconvene in January.

Under the program, which was designed to get citizens to clean up illegal tire dumps that mar many inner-city neighborhoods, Memphis and Shelby County residents could get $1 for each used tire they disposed of properly.

On Friday, there was a two-hour wait to enter the tire facility and 14,000 tires were collected. Collins said that as of 8 this morning, over 40,000 tires had been collected.

"It provided some much-needed help to residents who were struggling to make ends meet, and it helped clean up our neighborhoods," said Collins. "Those are things government can do if it is done right."

The Environmental Protection Agency has created a new Web site to assist homeowners, buyers, and renters in finding and maintaining a green home. The Green Homes site, epa.gov/greenhomes, goes room by room to pinpoint places where residents can reduce energy waste through efficient energy and water usage, renewable energy, green home building materials and household products, and recycling from home construction and household activities. For those in the market to buy or build a home, the site also gives advice on how to select the most environmentally friendly location.

The Web site front page gives a diagram of a typical home layout, which visitors can click on any room to find out about different energy savings options. Choosing the bedroom, for example, brings a page that recommends an array of Energy Star electronics, gives information on different green furnishings, and illustrates what to look for in choosing the flooring. This room-by-room overview is then followed by broader information on lighting, cleaning, and even shopping for the home to reduce energy usage.

Other parts of the home analyzed for energy and water efficiency opportunities include the kitchen, bathroom, living room, office, laundry room, basement, garage, attic, roof and yard.

"The use of energy is related to virtually everything we do, or have in our homes," the agency said. "Obvious uses include using electricity to run appliances, electronics, and air conditioners, etc.; less obvious uses include consuming energy to purify and produce and convey water to our homes, and to make the products we purchase for use in our homes. If we take steps to green our homes, we can reduce energy use, save money, reduce carbon dioxide emissions, and help to fight global warming and climate change."

Tips are not just limited to homeowners who have the ability to make major changes to their residences, but also to renters. A checklist of options to make a rental property energy and water efficient is offered, as well as an overview on how to convince landlords to help green their properties.

The EPA plans to maintain the site as an umbrella portal for information on residential environmental issues from it and other federal agencies. More information is available at the Green Homes Web site, www.epa.gov/greenhomes.