NES Announces New ‘Change for Charity’ Program

Nashville, Tenn. – Nashville Electric Service will implement a new program in January that will allow its customers to donate up to 99 cents per month to charities that provide assistance to needy area residents, the utility announced today.

The program, Change for Charity, will round up residential customers’ bills to the next whole dollar amount and donate the proceeds to charitable organizations. Customers can choose not to participate in the program by simply notifying NES.

The amount rounded up will show up as a separate item on the bill. For instance, if an individual’s bill is $50.15, it will be rounded to $51. The maximum amount one would give in a year is $11.88, and the average is $6. Contributions are tax-deductible.

All of the funds collected will go to the Change for Charity program, with 80 percent to be distributed to the Metro Action Commission, Ladies of Charity and Big Brothers of Nashville, Inc., for social services purposes, including utility bill assistance. The remaining 20 percent will be available in grant form to charitable 501(c)(3) organizations.

“For less than one dollar a month, you can make a valuable contribution to a Nashville charity that helps people in need,” NES corporate communications supervisor Tim Hill said.

This program is in place and has been successful in other nearby electric utilities. Middle Tennessee Electric collects approximately $50,000 a month for charities from a similar program called Round Up.

Although NES encourages all customers to participate, there are several easy ways to opt out. Customers can make the request in person at the main Church Street office, on the phone, in writing, or online. To opt out by phone, call 615-747-3600 and leave your name, address and telephone number of the account.