Preliminary data indicate electricity use reached an all-time high yesterday for customers of Public Service Company of Oklahoma (PSO).

Unofficial numbers show PSO customer demand for electricity reached 4,277 megawatts (MW) Wednesday afternoon, topping the previous all-time record peak of 4,200 MW, set August 4, 2008. A regular review of the numbers will determine whether 4,277 MW becomes the new official record peak.

While PSO has enough power to meet the increased demand for electricity, the Company advises customers to use energy wisely and to conserve wherever possible. Programs and information to help customers find out how they can reduce their energy use – and save money – can be found at PSOklahoma.com/save.

For customers looking to avoid summer spikes in their electric bill, PSO’s AMP (Average Monthly Payment) program can help put those bills on a more even track. With AMP, customers pay an amount each month based on their average monthly electrical use. That helps spread the cost of summer cooling over the entire year, making budgeting – and summer bill payment – a whole lot easier.

Customers who are struggling to keep up with their bill payments are encouraged to call PSO to discuss possible pay arrangements. PSO’s toll-free customer service number is 888-216-3523.

PSO, a unit of American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP), is an electric utility company serving more than 530,000 customers in eastern and southwestern Oklahoma. With headquarters in Tulsa, PSO has 4,321 megawatts of generating capacity and provides electricity to 230 cities and towns across a service area encompassing 30,000 square miles.