Winter is harsher and colder for families that find it difficult to pay their heating bills because of unexpected financial hardships.

PP&L, Inc.'s Operation HELP fund provides much needed assistance to those families, who have experienced loss of income due to unemployment, disability or medical emergency. The fund is supported by contributions from the company, its employees and its customers across eastern and central Pennsylvania.

"Each year at this time, we ask customers to support Operation HELP by adding an extra $1, $2 or $5 to their electric bill," noted Tim Dahl, who administers the program for PP&L, Inc. "We are always gratified by the response we receive."

So far this year, Operation HELP has received donations of $356,000 from the general public and PP&L, Inc., employees. The company hopes to sign up 3,000 new contributors for 1999.

Operation HELP is one of the oldest utility fuel funds in the nation. PP&L, Inc., started the program in 1983. Since its founding, Operation HELP has raised more than $8.4 million and assisted 37,000 families in the region.

PP&L, Inc., provides Operation HELP funds to 16 local agencies, which process requests for aid, interview applicants and distribute funds.

The money can be used to pay any type of heating bill: electric, natural gas, oil or coal.

Operation HELP is one of several outreach programs PP&L, Inc. has to assist customers in need. The company also offers free weatherization, energy conservation and energy education services through its Winter Relief Assistance and Keep Warm programs; a customer assistance program called On Track and an outreach service called CARES that offers budget counseling and referrals to other community programs.

PP&L, Inc., a subsidiary of PP&L Resources, Inc., provides electric delivery service to 1.2 million customers in eastern and central Pennsylvania, generates electricity, and markets or trades wholesale energy in the United States and Canada.

All donations to Operation HELP are tax deductible and are used to assist needy families for energy-bill payments. To assure that the funds are used properly, a financial audit is conducted annually for each administrating agency by a Certified Public Accounting firm. PP&L, Inc. also reviews each agency's recordkeeping procedures annually. A copy of the official registration and financial information may be obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of State by calling toll-free in Pennsylvania 1-800-732-0999. Registration does not imply endorsement.