TULSA, Okla., May 16, 2014 – Surveys show more than 45 percent of people served by Oklahoma food pantries report having to choose between paying their utility bills and feeding their families.  That’s why PSO has created the Shine A Light Project – to help Oklahoma families who use food pantries lighten their load.

“We know that families in need are often forced to make difficult decisions and sometimes food dollars get cut in order to cover other life expenses,” said Dawn Casey, PSO Consumer Programs coordinator.  “But through the Shine A Light Project, we can provide our neighbors in need with a ray of hope.”

Here’s how it works.  For every PSO-discounted, energy-efficient, compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL) purchased during May and June, PSO will donate one to a food bank to help families in need save money on their utility bills.  A list of the participating retailers can be found at http://www.powerforwardwithpso.com/my-community/shine-a-light.

Customers shopping at those retailers can look for the “Savings that Shine” sticker and then purchase one, or several, discounted CFLs.  Up to 75,000 CFLs will then be delivered to PSO’s partners in the statewide initiative: the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma and the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma.

Delivery of the CFLs to the food banks will begin in June, with an additional delivery scheduled for the fall.  The food banks will then distribute the CFLs to their area food pantry clients.

The donation is part of PSO’s Energy Saving Products and Services Program which offers customers discounted CFLs, Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs), and room air conditioners through participating retailers.  Since 2010, PSO has helped reduce energy consumption by 210,821,000 kilowatt-hours – enough energy to power approximately 16,000 homes for a year.   

CFL Savings Facts

Compared to incandescent bulbs, Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs (or CFLs) offer a longer life, lower operating costs, less heat gain, and ultimately, lower electric bills. Here are a few CFL facts:

• Up to ten times longer bulb life.
• One-fourth to one-third the energy usage of a standard incandescent bulb.
• A 75% decrease in produced heat, helping to reduce summer air conditioning costs.
• Lower bulb wattage; a 26-watt CFL provides as much light as a 100-watt incandescent.
• ENERGY STAR^® qualified compact fluorescent lights can last more than five years.
• Replacing five regular bulbs with ENERGY STAR CFLs can save more than 1,400 kWh over the lifetime of the bulbs, that’s enough to light an entire house for nearly nine months.

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PSO, a unit of American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP), is an electric utility company serving approximately 540,000 customers in 232 cities and towns in eastern and southwestern Oklahoma.  Based in Tulsa, PSO has 4,274 megawatts of generating capability and is one of the largest providers of wind energy in the state.  News releases and other information about PSO can be found on the World Wide Web at PSOklahoma.com.