HOUSTON, August 19, 2005 (PRNewswire-FirstCall) — No one deserves to be left in the dark. That’s why Reliant Energy is working to help keep the lights on for customers in need with its Community Assistance by Reliant Energy, or CARE Program. This year Reliant has contributed $500,000 to CARE and is committed to providing up to $1 million by matching funds donated from Reliant customers.
Established in 2002, CARE is a community-based program designed to support Reliant Energy customers who are having difficulty making ends meet because of extreme hardship, such as loss of income, illness or death in the family.
“Reliant Energy is committed to improving the quality of life for its greater Houston and surrounding area customers. We believe no one should have to choose between basic needs and paying their electricity bill,” said James Robb, senior vice-president, retail marketing from Reliant Energy. “Our CARE Program can help customers avoid this situation.”
Agencies that are receiving assistance from CARE in the greater Houston and surrounding areas are Harris County Social Services, Galveston County Community Action Council, Fort Bend County Social Services, Brazoria County Social Services and the Neighborhood Centers, Inc.
“There are many families in our area who fall below the federal poverty line or simply suffer an emergency or other crisis that temporarily forces them to struggle to provide for their families on a monthly basis,” said Sidney Braquet, deputy director of Harris County Social Services. “It is only through the generosity of organizations such as Reliant Energy that we are able to provide more help for families in the greater Houston area who are in need of this type of emergency financial assistance. These are families who otherwise may have to make some hard decisions about where their dollars go to meet their family’s needs.”
Reliant customers can help Texans in need by contributing directly to CARE and checking the donation box when they make their monthly electricity payment. Reliant Energy will match customer donations to provide up to $1 million of funding for this program. As part of this continued effort to help families and neighbors pay their electric bills during hard times, for every customer who signs up for online paperless bill payment, Reliant Energy will donate an additional $1 to CARE.
Reliant Energy’s CARE Program is now offered in 95 counties across the state of Texas to help families and neighbors in the cities in which Reliant offers service: Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, Tyler, Corpus Christi, Victoria, McAllen, Laredo, Midland/Odessa, Waco, Wichita Falls and the Sherman/Gainesville areas.
To learn more about Reliant Energy services and programs, please visit https://www.reliant.com or call 713-207-7777.
About Reliant Energy
Reliant Energy, Inc., based in Houston, Texas, provides electricity and energy services to retail and wholesale customers in the U.S. The company provides energy products and services to approximately 1.9 million electricity customers, ranging from residences and small businesses to large commercial, industrial, governmental and institutional customers, primarily in Texas. Reliant also serves commercial and industrial clients in the PJM (Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland) Interconnection.
The company is one of the largest independent power producers in the nation with approximately 19,000 megawatts of power generation capacity in operation or under contract across the U.S. These strategically located generating assets utilize natural gas, wind, fuel oil and coal. For more information, visit our Web site at https://www.reliant.com/corporate .
