DECATUR - Customers of Ameren's Illinois utilities who find themselves jobless now can turn around and ask the power company to pay their power bills.

One-time "grants" of up to $300 are available on a first come, first served basis to help keep the lights on. To qualify, customers of utilities AmerenIP, AmerenCIPS and AmerenCILCO must have been laid off since December 2008 and must still be unemployed when they apply for their grant, which appears as a credit on the bill.

"We understand today's economic challenges are affecting the people, businesses and industries we serve as they are affecting our own organization," said Stan Ogden, the Illinois utilities vice president of customer service.

"This new program is intended to help customers who have lost jobs due to layoffs."

But jobless families wishing to take advantage of the grants, which tap funds set aside in the rate relief package agreed with lawmakers in 2007, had better move fast.

Ameren spokesman Leigh Morris said only $2.2 million was available to fund the grants, and the Illinois utilities have 1.2 million electric customers among them.

"There is only limited money available, and this program is also a first, the first time we've had an assistance program specifically for customers who are unemployed," Morris said. "And, as far as I know, there will not be a repeat of this program."

But while Ameren can give, it also has plans to take away: the utilities filed a rate re ;quest with Illinois regulators in June that would drain $226 million more from their electricity and natural gas customers if approved in full. A typical AmerenIP family buying both electricity and natural gas from the company would see their annual bill jump by more than $152.

Agencies charged with helping the poor, meanwhile, are expecting heavy demand for assistance as Macon County's unemployment rate just spiked at 10 percent, the highest rate in more than 20 years. Adienne Robertson, coordinator of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, said the utilities' decision to offer grants was welcome.

"It's a good thing they are doing it; we have so many unemployed," she added.

treid@herald-review.com|421-7977