For Immediate Release
Contact
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: Betty Kennedy: 609-625-5567betty.kennedy@pepcoholdings.com
Forum focuses on helping low-income residents with rising energy costs
Atlantic City, N.J. - Those familiar with the hard realities of higher heating bills and their impact on low-income residents gathered in Atlantic City today to share ideas for helping the needy at an Energy Assistance Summit, sponsored by Pepco Holdings Inc., the parent company of Atlantic City Electric and Delmarva Power.
Representatives from more than 150 social service groups from across Atlantic City Electric service territory in southern New Jersey and Delmarva Power service territory, which includes Delaware and the Eastern Shore of Maryland and Virginia, attended the daylong conference at the Atlantic City Sheraton Hotel.
"The rising cost of energy can be a serious financial crisis for our community's most vulnerable citizens," said Ken Parker, Atlantic City Electric Region President. "Higher fuel costs mean higher heating bills and, as a result, more families will need assistance this winter. While Atlantic City Electric energy costs will remain stable through this winter, the surge in fuel costs already is affecting natural gas and home heating oil supplies across our region and eventually will affect everyone. By working together and sharing ideas, participants in this summit will be able to better help needy families deal with higher energy costs."
Parker said the summit is an opportunity for advocates for the needy to learn about energy assistance programs in their community.
"We are proud of our relationships with our community and hope to use this Summit as an opportunity to establish areas of mutual support and to help us continue to lead the way in providing excellent service to our customers," Parker said.
The summit included workshops, exhibits and speaker presentations from energy-assistance advocates at the local, state and national level including Kevin Monte de Ramos, of KMDR Research and author of Poverty and the Public Utilities.
Atlantic City Electric, a public utility owned by Pepco Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: POM), provides safe, reliable and affordable regulated electric and natural gas delivery services to more than 500,000 customers in Southern New Jersey.