Upcoming Energy Smart Workshops

“Get EnergySmart at Your Library” is a partnership between MLGW/TVA & the Memphis Public Library to help MLGW customers conserve energy and save money. The workshops have a limited number of spaces & participation is on a first-come, first- served basis. Each participant will receive an energy kit worth $40.

Call the library to reserve a seat.

Saturday, December 3, 2011, 10:30 a.m.
Poplar-White Station Branch Library
5094 Poplar Ave.
Call 415-2777 to reserve a spot!

Tuesday, December 6, 2011, 10:30 a.m.
South Branch Library
1929 Third Street
Call 415-2780 to reserve a spot!

Memphis Energized

Tune in to the December edition of Memphis Energized where we’ll show you how MLGW and the University of Memphis partner with others in the community to celebrate Tiger Blue Goes Green. Also, we’ll show you how MLGW can help you give the perfect holiday gift with our Gift of Comfort program. And it’s the time of year we will all want to crank up the heat, we’ll show you some energy saving tips.

Other topics:
Fire safety
Kill-o-Watt program
In home energy display installation

Attention Holiday Shoppers

Want to avoid the stores on Black Friday? MLGW's Gift of Comfort program could be the perfect gift for a loved one who is having trouble keeping up with their utility costs. The Gift of Comfort is a program that provides a means for individuals in the community to make a payment towards a customer's utility bill as a gift.

Gift of Comfort brochures are available at all MLGW community offices and can be downloaded here. To give this gift, you only need to know the recipient's address. Gifts can be purchased in any amount and will appear as a credit on the recipient's bill. Donations can be made anonymously or a portion of the certificate can be detached and presented to the recipient.

Check out a Kill-a-Watt

The Kill-a-Watt device can be checked out like a book at any of the Memphis Public Library branches. It can then be used to measure the plug load at a in your home. It won't take into account all of your electrical usage since it doesn't gauge items such as central HVAC systems and water heaters, but it will allow to to see how much your appliances are costing you. It can also help you save energy and money on your utility bill by educating you on the costs. They are easy to use and pre-programmed with MLGW rates.

Ask your librarian about checking one out and start saving right away!

New Holiday Bill Break Program

No Residential Cutoffs for Unpaid Balances of $399 or Less from Dec. 15 to Jan 15.

To aid customers during the coldest period of the year, we are offering a new program called the Holiday Bill Break.

The Holiday Bill Break ensures that no residential customers are cut off from December 15 to January 14 if they have an unpaid balance of $399.99 or less. Customers with balances of $400 or more will be subject to cut off during this time period.

The Holiday Bill Break replaces the previous Annual Moratorium, which prevented cutoffs regardless of the unpaid balance. However, customers typically came out of that moratorium with large balances, which had a negative affect on their ability to pay their bills moving forward.

This new program will allow customers to have extra cash during the holidays while protecting them from getting into serious debt.

The Holiday Bill Break is a separate program from the Winter Moratorium for Seniors as well as the cold weather-related moratorium. Both of these programs remain in effect.

For more information, go to www.mlgw.com or call 544-MLGW (6549).

Free Community Outreach Forum for TVA's Green Power Switch Program

We are co-hosting a free community outreach forum Friday, November 18, 2011 at the MLGW auditorium from 8:30 to 3:00. The Tennessee Renewable Energy Economic Development Council (TREEDC) is the other co-host for the forum as part of an ongoing series helping to promote TVA's Green Power Switch Program.

Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell and Memphis Mayor AC Wharton will deliver opening remarks.

MLGW CEO Jerry Collins is the keynote speaker and will participate in the effort to encourage Memphis area citizens and businesses to invest in clean energy generation by TVA. Presentations will be given by representatives from Memphis Bioworks, FedEx, Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, the University of Memphis, Gibson County Utilities, Tennessee Tech University and 49 Green. TREEDC is a statewide grassroots coalition of 65 city and county mayors promoting the economic development and environmental benefits of renewable energy for all communities in Tennessee.

TREEDC was formed by the University of Tennessee President Emeritus Dr. Joe Johnson , four mayors and a small engineering firm out of Knoxville, TN. Councilman Edmund Ford Jr. is an advisory board member and helps coordinate federal and state clean energy initiatives on behalf of the City of Memphis. Other members of TREEDC include Memphis Light Gas & Water, Tennessee Valley Authority, USDA Rural Development and Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

The forum will be limited to 75 seats, and attendees can register by e-mailing treedc08@yahoo.com. For additional information go to www.treedc.us

November 15 Application Deadline for Winter Moratorium for Seniors

The deadline is approaching for customers to apply for MLGW's Winter Moratorium for Seniors.

As winter approaches, MLGW wants to ensure uninterrupted service to its senior (60+) and disabled customers. The Winter Moratorium program has been in place for over two decades and prevents cutoffs for registered customers during the months of December, January and February.

Participants are still responsible for paying their utility bills during this time, but in the event that the bill exceeds the customers means, the customer will not be disconnected. If there is a balance left at the end of the February billing cycle, registered customers can qualify for a short term payment plan.

There are no income restrictions for the Winter Moratorium program. However, applicants cannot have an outstanding balance on their utility bill on November 30 when the program begins. The deadline for application is November 15. Simply download the Winter Moratorium application below, fill it out and mail to:

Credit Operations
Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division
PO Box 430
Memphis, TN 38101-0430

Applications are also available at the Aging Commission, Meritan, MIFA, MLGW Community Offices, or by calling 544-MLGW. You can also download the Winter Moratorium for Seniors application here.

Note: Please remember to include proof of age (copy of driver's license, birth certificate or another legal form of ID) to send along with your application if you qualify because you are age 60 or over. If you are applying because of a handicap, please remember to send in the proper certification information along with your application.

Requirements:

* Utility service must be listed in the name of the elderly and/or handicapped person.
* If qualification is to be based on age, proof of such is required (example, driver's license).
* If qualification is to be based on disability, proof of such is required (example medical statement from the physician).
* Past due amounts must be paid before December 1.

Free Drop-off Locations for Bagged Leaves

Beginning Monday, November 14th the City will open two (2) locations for residents to drop-off bagged leaves for free!

1. Public Works Collins Yard Facility @ 304 Collins (@ Poplar Ave) from 8am-4pm Monday-Saturday

2. Rodney Baber Park @ 2215 James Rd. Dawn till dusk daily

During leaf season, removal of bagged leaves by the City may be delayed indefinitely due to the enormous volume of bags placed at the curb throughout the city.

Therefore, we respectfully ask residents to take advantage of the above drop-off locations and to help us spread the word about these locations and this free drop-off option.

BAGGED LEAVES COLLECTION
Its bagged leaves season; therefore, please be mindful of the following:

Beginning Monday, November 14th the above free drop-off locations will be available to residents of Memphis only.Lawn, landscape and handymen hired to perform yard work, such as bagging leaves, must remove bags and other debris generated by their services.

Due to the volume of bagged leaves placed at the curb during the months of November through March, removal of all bags citywide within a 5 day work week is not possible with existing resources. Therefore, do not expect collection of leaf bags normal garbage/recycling collection day.

The City does not collect bagged leaves at commercial businesses and private residential developments.

Bagged leaves placed at the curb by contractors or at businesses or private developments will be tagged by City field management and if not removed as directed on the tag the City will remove and the property owner will be billed accordingly.

Since the vast majority of bagged leaves are composted, please do not mix leaf bags with household waste.

Downtown E-cycling Drive, Nov 15th

The Downtown Memphis Commission is sponsoring an e-Recycling Drive next Tuesday, November 15th in honor of America Recycles Day.

Bring your unwanted and/or outdated electronics like PCs, monitors, cell phones, televisions, etc. to the Central Station Pavilion (Front and GE Patterson) from 3 - 6:30pm.

Visit the 5r Processors website for a full list of accepted items. There is a $25 processing fee for any items that contain freon. All hard drives will be cleaned using Department of Defense-approved processes, and a certificate of hard-drive cleaning will be available, if desired, for $10 per drive.

Public auction of surplus vehicles and equipment

Interested in some of our surplus vehicles or equipment? Click here for information on our public auction.

TVA Donates $10,000 to Plus-1

The Tennessee Valley Authority has provided a $10,000 gift to our Plus-1 program to help pay utility bills for local residents impacted by a recent emergency.

Plus-1 is a partnership between MIFA (the Metropolitan Inter-Faith Association) and MLGW that offers one-time assistance in paying utility services for people in a crisis. The program is not a source of on-going assistance.

“We recognize how an unexpected turn of events can put good people in a tough financial situation,” said Laura Campbell, TVA’s general manager of Customer Service in West Tennessee. “Plus-1 is a great way to help these families get back on their feet. It’s a program we strongly support.”

MLGW customers fund Plus-1 through one-time donations or by adding a dollar or more to their utility bills each month. Since its inception in 1982, Plus-1 has provided millions of dollars in assistance to families in crisis in Memphis and Shelby County.

“We thank TVA for this generous gift and also thank our customers and employees for their monthly support,” said Jerry Collins, MLGW president and chief executive officer. “This program is a lifesaver for many local residents, and these contributions are greatly appreciated.”

“We continue to see dramatic increases in requests for utility assistance,” said Sally Jones Heinz, executive director of MIFA. “The need is driven not only by extreme weather conditions but also by high unemployment in our community. TVA’s gift will allow us to offer help to many families.”

For more information on the Plus-1 program, visit: www.plus1memphis.org

Holiday Bill Break & Moratoriums

Holiday Bill Break

Our Annual Moratorium is now call Holiday Bill Break.

In June 2011, the MLGW Board of Commissioners approved a new program called the Holiday Bill Break to take the place of the annual cutoff moratorium. The new program ensures that no residential customers are cut off from December 15 until January 14 for unpaid balances of $399 or less. This new program will allow customers to have extra cash during the holidays while protecting them from getting into serious debt.

With the previous Annual Moratorium, MLGW continued to see customers come out of the moratorium with large balances, which had a negative affect on their ability to pay their bills moving forward.

MLGW's Winter Moratorium for Seniors and Cold-Weather Related Moratorium will remain in affect.

Winter Moratorium for Elderly and Handicapped Customers

The program is designed to defer cutoffs during the months of December, January, and February for customers who are 60 years of age or older and/or handicapped. Utility service must be listed in the name of the elderly and/or handicapped person. If qualification is to be based on age, proof of such is required (example, driver's license). If qualification is to be based on disability, proof of such is required (example medical statement from the physician).

There are no income restrictions for the Winter Moratorium program. However, applicants cannot have an outstanding balance on their utility bill on November 30 when the program begins. The deadline for application is November 15. Applications are available at the Aging Commission, Meritan, MIFA, MLGW Community Offices, or by calling 544-MLGW. Customers can download the Winter Moratorium for Seniors application here.

Cold Weather-Related Moratorium

MLGW will not disconnect any residential accounts for non-payment whenever the wind chill is predicted to be at or below 32 degree Fahrenheit during a 24-hour period.