Charleston, W.Va., August 2, 2006 - Appalachian Power customers set a new unofficial summer peak demand for electricity Tuesday at 4:00 p.m. The customer demand Tuesday for electricity was 6,292 megawatts (MW), up from the prior summer peak of 6,285 MW established just last month on Wednesday, July 19. New summer peaks were also set Tuesday, July 18, at 6,280 MW, and Monday, July 17, at 6,259 MW.

A megawatt is a measurement of electricity demand equal to one million watts. One hundred watts will light a 100-watt light bulb.

Appalachian Power´s all-time peak demand of 7,080 MW was set December 20, 2004. The company is historically a winter-peaking utility and has sufficient generating capacity to meet its customers´ summertime needs. However, as more customers add electric cooling systems to homes, that gap is closing.

“With forecasted daytime temperatures expected to remain extreme for the remainder of this week, we at Appalachian Power are first concerned that our customers do everything required to avoid heat-related health problems, “ said Dana Waldo, Appalachian Power president and COO. “We also want to remind them there are simple steps to take to save energy and provide significant cost savings all year long.”

“As an example, by turning up the thermostat a few degrees-say, from 75 to 78 degrees-most customers will stay comfortable, yet save noticeably on power bills,” Waldo said. “Other simple things, like turning off unnecessary lights, drawing window shades and using fans to circulate cool air will save money and reduce demand.”

Appalachian Power offers the following tips to help control summer cooling costs.
· Set your thermostat at 78 degrees and use ceiling fans to help circulate the cool air.
· Turn lights, computers, televisions, radio and other appliances off when not in use.
· Wash only full loads of clothes and dishes.
· Use a microwave oven instead of a conventional oven when possible.
· Avoid running heat-producing appliances (ovens, clothes dryers, etc.) during the hottest times of the day.
· Keep sunny windows covered with blinds or draperies.
· Hang laundry outside to dry.
· Lower the thermostat on your water heater to 120 degrees.
· Replace conventional light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs.

For additional energy saving information or a free on-line home energy audit, go to Appalachian Power´s web site at www.AppalachianPower.com or visit the U.S. Department of Energy´s web site at www.eere.energy.gov/consumer/tips/ .

Appalachian Power provides electricity to 1 million customers in Virginia, West Virginia and Tennessee (as AEP Appalachian Power). It is a unit of American Electric Power, one of the largest electric utilities in the United States, with more than 5 million customers in 11 states. AEP ranks among the nation´s largest generators of electricity, owning nearly 36,000 megawatts of generating capacity in the U.S. AEP also owns the nation´s largest electricity transmission system, a nearly 39,000-mile network that includes more 765 kilovolt extra-high voltage transmission lines than all other U.S. transmission systems combined.