Hampton, NH, August 4, 2000 - Usource www.usourceonline.com, an affiliate of Unitil Corporation (AMEX: UTL) today announced that it will acquire competitive energy supply through its Internet auction platform for Avista Advantage customers in Pennsylvania. Avista Advantage is the nation’s leading provider of facility billing and information services.

Aggregated electricity requirements for approximately 75 of Avista Advantage’s customer sites are in the process of being posted.through Usourceonline.com for bid by multiple suppliers utilizing the Enermetrix.com Energy Exchange. Unlike many Internet sites that merely compare prices offered by suppliers, Usource serves as a live auction where pre-qualified suppliers make firm bids against firm commitments by Commercial and Industrial customers to buy their electricity and gas. Avista has announced they will post customer requirements in three different markets through competing Internet sites. The customers represent several of Avista Advantage’s premier national retail store accounts.

"The power of our two Internet platforms is the ability to leverage each other’s strengths and deliver premium value to customers efficiently at low cost," said Bob Schoenberger, Unitil’s Chief Executive Officer. "Usource brings the competitive market to the customer on the customer’s terms in a seamless electronic process. We welcome this opportunity to prove Usource is a superior solution to meet customers’ energy needs."

Avista Advantage (www.avistaadvantage.com) is the nation’s leading provider of facility billing and information services and offers its sophisticated Advantage Customer Internet Site (ACIS®) platform to multi-site commercial customers throughout the United States. Avista Advantage is a subsidiary of the Fortune 500 company Avista Corp., formerly Washington Water Power and employs a diverse group of individuals with extensive experience in the fields of engineering, finance, technology and telecommunications, as well as utility management.

Usource, www.usourceonline.com, which was launched last year, provides traditional and Internet-based energy services to: energy buying groups, commercial, industrial and institutional customers throughout New York, New England and Pennsylvania.

Unitil is a public utility holding company with subsidiaries providing electric service in New Hampshire, electric and gas service in Massachusetts and energy services throughout the Northeast. Its other subsidiaries include Concord Electric Company, Exeter & Hampton Electric Company, Fitchburg Gas and Electric Light Company, Unitil Power Corp., Unitil Realty Corp., Unitil Service Corp. and its unregulated business unit Unitil Resources, Inc. Usource is a subsidiary of Unitil Resources, Inc.

For more information, visit Usource at www.usourceonline.com or call Tony Aguiar at 603-773-6472.

Contact
Tony Aguiar
aguiar@unitil.com