Puget Sound Energy customers have received a boost to pay their energy bills with a $50,000 donation from the utility’s investors to The Salvation Army Warm Home Fund, which has already helped more than 1,000 households stay warm this year with $171,000 in voluntary contributions from PSE employees and customers.

PSE’s contribution will help about 250 more households pay their heating bills this year. No ratepayer dollars fund PSE’s donations to the Warm Home Fund. PSE encourages customers to make voluntary contributions to the fund in their PSE bill payments.

PSE customer donations to the fund jumped by 30 percent in January when PSE bill payers added a contribution with their utility-bill payments, which were higher than usual due to the effects of December’s cold spell on heating costs.

“PSE employees and customers always have proven to be extremely generous donors who rally around those needing help to keep their homes warm,” said Phil Bussey, senior vice president of Corporate Affairs for PSE. “Through their donations, PSE employees and customers as well as our investors have proven to be very generous in giving to those in need.”

In addition to the Warm Home Fund, PSE encourages customers to call the utility at 1.888.225.5773 to work out bill-payment arrangements and to obtain other energy assistance available to qualified low-income recipients through the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP, and PSE’s Home Energy Lifeline Program, or HELP.