For the second consecutive year, Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division is giving fans and air conditioning window units to seniors and needy families to help them cope with high temperatures. MLGW purchased 200 fans and 200 air conditioning window units and is donating them to customers identified by the Community Services Agency (CSA), Meritan, Aging Commission of the Mid-South, and MIFA as needing help to combat the heat. Customers can choose between an air conditioner or a free-standing fan. MLGW employees are also installing the units.

Customers must meet CSA eligibility requirements in order to receive a fan or AC. Applications are not available through MLGW. Beginning Tuesday, July 22 customers can call Shelby County’s Heat Center at 545-HEAT to request a fan or AC unit. The number will be available from 9am-7pm daily until further notice.

According to CSA, customers must meet the following requirements:

Must not have an existing AC unit

Cannot have received an AC unit through CSA/MLGW in 2007

Priority is for elderly or individuals with medical disabilities that are heat sensitive (heart conditions, diabetes, asthma, etc.)

Income guidelines also apply.

"We want to ensure that we are helping to improve the quality of life for our customers," said MLGW President and CEO Jerry Collins. "During these hot Memphis summers, it is important for our customers to be safe and comfortable."

Last year, MLGW donated several hundred window units and fans, as well as bottled water, to senior and disabled customers through CSA, MIFA and other agencies.

MLGW also reminds customers that wise energy usage is important in order to keep their utility bills as low as possible. For energy saving tips, visit mlgw.com.

MLGW is the largest three-service public power utility in the nation, serving more than 420,000 customers in Memphis and Shelby County. A 2007 survey of large metropolitan areas showed that MLGW has the sixth lowest combined rates in the nation.