We appreciate the Times-News coverage of our programs to help residential customers save electricity and manage their electric bills. As reported, our Watt Watchers programs are funded by a monthly surcharge paid by all Allegheny customers.

This charge is $1.09 in 2009 for the typical residential ratepayer using 1,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity per month.

However, your Nov. 24 editorial (“Surcharge: Allegheny Power move won’t be well-received”) suggests the surcharge solely covers the costs of printing and mailing of residential rebate booklets.

In fact, the surcharge covers all costs to implement the Watt Watchers programs: rebates for new energy-efficient appliances, recycling incentives for older appliances, home energy audits, low-income programs, mail-in rebates for CFLs and more.

Allegheny’s programs will cost about $15 million per year through 2015. State regulators have approved both the programs and the monthly surcharge necessary to pay for them.

Customers could save hundreds or even thousands of dollars on their electric bills, depending on which programs they choose to participate in. Certainly, savings could more than cover the monthly surcharge.

These programs support the EmPOWER Maryland Energy Efficiency Act — the law of the land targeting energy reductions of 15 percent by 2015. As such, regulators ordered all Maryland electric utilities to develop and offer programs to meet the EmPOWER targets.

The new programs are the right tools for our customers to help control their bills and use energy more wisely.

It goes beyond dollars and cents. These programs can help make Maryland a cleaner and greener place to live. A kilowatt of energy conserved is a kilowatt with no environmental footprint.

So please, take a moment to read the residential rebate booklet that you recently received to see which programs work for you. Maybe you’re in the market for a new appliance, and you could get enough cash back to pay for some Christmas gifts.

Already recycled the booklet? No worries. Visit www.alleghenypower.com to download a copy or call 1-877-928-8928 for a new one.

Todd Meyers, manager external

communications, Allegheny Energy

Greensburg, Pa.