Oct. 28, 2009 (PR Newswire) -- WINSTON-SALEM, N.C., Oct. 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- As cool weather spills into the region, Piedmont Natural Gas (NYSE: PNY) employees are joining community leaders from throughout the Triad in Winston-Salem, N.C. to support Share the Warmth Round Up, an energy assistance program introduced earlier this year by Piedmont Natural Gas.

Share the Warmth Round Up offers a simple way for Piedmont customers to round up their monthly natural gas bill to the nearest dollar with the difference going to assist neighbors in their community who need help paying their home energy bills. Share the Warmth Round Up funds can be used to pay energy bills throughout the year regardless of the energy source used in the home - including natural gas, propane, oil, electricity, coal, kerosene and wood.

Piedmont Natural Gas launched Share the Warmth Round Up in July, making an initial commitment to contribute $100,000 to its Share the Warmth Round Up partner agencies. At today's event, Piedmont announced an additional $50,000 to Share the Warmth Round Up to further help its partner agencies meet increased demand for assistance this winter.

In recognition of the occasion and the impact Share the Warmth Round Up can make on its citizens, Greensboro Mayor Yvonne Johnson, High Point Mayor Rebecca Smothers and Winston-Salem Mayor Allen Joines designated October 28, 2009 "Piedmont Natural Gas 'Share the Warmth Round Up Day.'"

"The need for assistance in the communities we serve has never been greater and as the weather turns cool, we expect those needs to increase significantly," said Kevin O'Hara, senior vice president, corporate and community affairs, Piedmont Natural Gas.

"Over the past four months, more than 6,000 Piedmont customers have enrolled in Share the Warmth Round Up. This is a simple step each of us can take to support our communities and our neighbors in need and the most it could cost any of us is $12 a year. That's small change to change lives."

Contributions are tax deductible and every donation goes directly to an approved Share the Warmth Round Up partner agency, including the North Carolina Department of Social Services, which uses 100 percent of the donations from Triad customers to provide direct financial assistance to low-income families and individuals in the Triad.

"In Guilford County alone, we helped nearly 5,000 families with energy assistance last year," said Robert Williams, director, Guilford County Department of Social Services.