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Ameren Offers Toy Trucks to Raise Funds to Help Cover Energy Costs, Weatherization for the Needy This Holiday
A plastic collectible Ameren logo bucket truck with an aerial lift, working head and tail lights and flashing caution beacons goes on sale today to help the needy cover their energy bills and weatherize their homes. Five dollars of every $28.90 truck purchase goes to Dollar More or if the buyer is an AmerenIP customer---to Warm Neighbors. Both funds are dedicated to helping families with energy assistance and conservation.

Orders must be placed by Dec. 10, 2004, to get toys in time for Christmas.

Supplies are limited for this truck, which also includes a hitch for pulling trailers and a coin bank in the forward tool box. Accessories include an exact replica of a pole trailer and utility pole ($12.95 with $1 going to the energy assistance funds); an exact replicate of three utility poles ($11.95 with $1 going to the energy assistance funds); and a three toy workers, complete with yellow hard hats and three safety cones ($7.95 with 50 cents going to the energy assistance funds). These toys are not recommended for children under age 4.

Visit www.ameren.com for an order form or visit www.toysbydg.com. To order by phone, call 1-888-434-8697 (DG Productions will take the order). You can fax an order to DG Productions by dialing 1-407-331-1513 or mail an order into DG Productions, P.O. Box 522288, Longwood, FL 32752.

Illinois-based customers will find an insert in their November bills with forms they can use to order the toys.

With assets of more than $17 billion, Ameren through its subsidiaries, serves 2.3 million electric and more than 900,000 natural gas customers in a 64,000- square-mile area of Illinois and Missouri.

# # # About Dollar More (AmerenCILCO, AmerenCIPS, AmerenUE):

Established in 1982 and funded by voluntary contributions from Ameren customers and Ameren Corporation, Ameren's Dollar More program helps the needy pay their home energy bills. More than $23 million in customer and corporate contributions have been distributed to help more than 100,000 low-income families meet their energy needs. All contributions stay in the community where the funds are donated, and Dollar More funds can be used to pay for a variety of home energy costs, including electricity, natural gas, oil and propane. All Dollar More contributions go to the needy through a network of human services agencies. The United Way and Ameren share administrative costs of the program so no contributions are used to administer the program. Customers can give to Dollar More by checking the "Dollar More" box on their bills when returning their payments, by enrolling online at www.ameren.com or by calling AmerenCILCO, AmerenCIPS or AmerenUE.

About Warm Neighbors (AmerenIP):

AmerenIP customers can participate in Warm Neighbors. The Warm Neighbors program is part of the Energy Assistance Foundation, a non-profit 501 (c) (3) organization founded in 1982 by Illinois Power, now known as AmerenIP, to provide bill payment assistance and home weatherization for qualifying customers. Working with local agencies in AmerenIP's service territory, grants are available for those in danger of losing their primary heating supply. Since its inception, the program has helped weatherize almost 3,700 homes and provided heating assistance to over 30,000 households.

The program is designed to help those who generally do not qualify for federal or state heating assistance. AmerenIP, its employees and customers provide funding for the program. Every dollar contributed to Warm Neighbors goes directly to help pay heating bills and weatherizing homes, not for administrative expenses. Customers can give to Warm Neighbors by checking the "Warm Neighbors" box on their bills when returning their payments, by enrolling online at www.ameren.com or by calling AmerenIP.

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