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Pittsburgh — Advantage Credit Counseling Service has received a $50,000 corporate contribution from Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania to support the 2008 Security Deposit Assistance Fund.

The Security Deposit Assistance Fund is available to help Columbia Gas customers who have had their gas service shut off due to non-payment and now need a security deposit to restart their service.

Once a customer’s gas service has been shut off due to non-payment, the customer is required to make a security deposit to restart their service. Working families who fall between 151 to 250 percent of federal poverty guidelines — $53,000 a year for a family of four — are eligible to receive a $150 grant to be used as a security deposit to restore their service.

Columbia Gas will refer customers who may be eligible to receive a grant through the Security Deposit Assistance Fund to Advantage CCS. Advantage CCS will verify the client’s income eligibility and approve the security deposit to be credited to the client’s Columbia Gas account in order to restore their service.

"This program is a tremendous help for people during this cold spell to restore their gas service and have heat for the winter," said Stephen J. Piotrowski, president and CEO of Advantage CCS.

Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania, with local headquarters in Pittsburgh, serves more than 400,000 customers in 27 counties. It is one of the 10 energy distribution companies of NiSource Inc. (NYSE: NI). NiSource distribution companies serve 3.7 million natural gas and electric customers primarily in nine states. More information about Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania is available at www.columbiagas.com.

Advantage Credit Counseling Service, formerly known as Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Western Pennsylvania, has been helping people get rid of their "debt monkey" since 1968 by educating them on matters of personal finance management, budgeting and credit management.

The non-profit 501(c)3 agency is accredited by the Council on Accreditation (COA) and holds membership with the Better Business Bureau. Advantage has been designated as a certified

comprehensive housing counseling agency by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Advantage is also a member of the National Foundation for Credit Counseling, the umbrella association for over 115 credit counseling agencies nation-wide that promotes the highest member standards for credit counseling.