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2006 News Releases

More Funding Available for Energy Assistance

Texas to Receive $38 Million in New Funds

Contact:
Rand LaVonn
(972) 855-3086

DALLAS, Texas – March 30, 2006 – Atmos Energy Corporation (NYSE: ATO) today urged its customers who need assistance in paying their heating bills to contact local energy assistance agencies, because the federal government is providing an additional $1 billion to help qualified recipients pay their energy bills.

Congress passed legislation – which President Bush recently signed – to increase funds for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), bringing the total budget to $3.2 billion. The LIHEAP federal block grant program provides money to help low- and fixed-income individuals heat and cool their homes. 

“The action on LIHEAP funding means that more money will be available for the people who have been hardest hit by recent spikes in energy costs,” said “Junior” Aston, Atmos Energy vice president of public affairs.  “This is an historic level of funding following a challenging winter and will help families who need it most.” 

In Texas, energy assistance agencies will gain an additional $38,276,836 to assist people in paying energy bills.  Energy assistance agencies nationwide are advising people to apply for financial support, especially those who were turned down because funds were depleted.

“Atmos Energy and its customers donated $475,000 during 2005 to its ‘Sharing the Warmth’ program to help families in need,” said Aston. “The donations show how caring Atmos Energy customers are.  We encourage everyone who can afford it to check the box on the back of your monthly bill and make regular donations to ‘Sharing the Warmth.’”

Each year, almost five million low-income households across the country receive LIHEAP assistance. However, funding for the LIHEAP program has not kept pace with the increased number of LIHEAP eligible families or the recent significant increases in energy costs.   

The chart below shows the 12 states where Atmos Energy provides natural gas service to nearly 3.2 million customers and how LIHEAP funding will increase in each state. 

For more information about the additional energy assistance funds in Texas, contact the Comprehensive Energy Assistance Program (CEAP) at (877) 399-8939.

Atmos Energy Corporation, headquartered in Dallas, is the country’s largest natural gas-only distributor, serving about 3.2 million gas utility customers. Atmos Energy’s utility operations serve more than 1,500 communities in 12 states, from the Blue Ridge Mountains in the East to the Rocky Mountains in the West. Atmos Energy’s nonutility operations, organized under Atmos Energy Holdings, Inc., operate in 22 states. They provide natural gas marketing and procurement services to industrial, commercial and municipal customers and manage company-owned natural gas storage and pipeline assets, including one of the largest intrastate natural gas pipelines in Texas. For more information, visit www.atmosenergy.com.

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