LIHEAP and Power to Care Programs Offer Aid

New Orleans, La. – Following the holiday season and as frigid weather settles in, many New Orleans-area customers may be worrying about heating their homes while facing tough financial situations.

Both Entergy New Orleans, Inc. and Entergy Louisiana, LLC can help.

Approximately 20 to 25 percent of Entergy’s 2.7 million customers need government assistance to survive. The latest poverty report released by the U. S. Census showed that the number of Americans living in poverty was the highest since 1997. The four states that Entergy serves have some of the highest statewide poverty rates in the nation. Louisiana ranked fifth.

Various state and federal programs are available to help customers manage their bills. The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program provides money to help individuals with energy bills and other energy-related expenses. LIHEAP is funded through the federal government and works with the community action agencies to help customers pay for and keep electric service in their homes. Both homeowner and renter households are eligible to receive LIHEAP assistance. A Louisiana household's annual income must be at or below 150 percent of federal poverty level. Energy costs must also be documented.

“We know times are tough for many people, and Entergy has a number of assistance opportunities available to help our customers,” said Melonie Hall, customer service director, Entergy New Orleans, Inc. “We encourage our customers to contact us or local charitable, nonprofit agencies that have programs to help with energy bills as soon as they think they could have a problem paying their bills. Let’s start the process together, as early as we can, before bills become unmanageable.”

Entergy’s Power to Care fund helps low-income, elderly or disabled customers pay their energy bills in times of financial distress. Entergy employees and customers donate to The Power to Care, with company shareholders matching new contributions up to $500,000 annually.

The company works with Councils on Aging to distribute these funds. Inquiries regarding The Power to Care should be directed to a customer’s local Council on Aging:

• New Orleans Council on Aging - (504) 821-4121.
• Jefferson Parish Council on Aging – (504) 888-5880.
• St. Bernard Parish Council on Aging – (504) 278-7335.
• Plaquemines Parish Council on Aging – (504) 392-3725.

A donation to The Power to Care is a small act that makes a big difference in someone else’s life. Donations may be made by checking a box to add a dollar to the monthly bill, or online through the secure Web site at entergy-neworleans.com or entergy-louisiana.com.

To help manage payments, Entergy New Orleans and Entergy Louisiana provide payment extensions and payment plans for qualified customers having difficulty paying their bills. Additionally, the companies can help customers avoid disconnections and the fees and deposits that often are required to restore service.

To help manage bill payments, Entergy offers these programs:

• Pick–A–Date - Only customers know the best time to pay their monthly bill. With Pick-A-Date, they may be able to select the date each month when their electric bill is due.
• Level Billing - The Level Billing option allows customers to pay about the same amount for electric service every month, making it easier to budget and plan for this cost, regardless of the season and usage. Under this program, each bill is essentially an average of 12 months of previous bills. Bills will vary on slightly each month.

Energy efficiency programs are available as well. These programs help reduce energy usage without sacrificing comfort. Customers can find answers to energy-related topics, including what goes into energy costs and what Entergy is doing to ensure affordable energy, at EntergyAnswers.com. The Web site also offers easy-to-use tips to help customers lower their energy bills.

The company’s new Bill Analyzer offers customers a simple overview that shows why their bill amount may have changed compared to previous bills. Details on customer usage, energy charges and other factors are available for customers who want more information. To access this feature, customers should register for My Account Online at entergy.com. My Account Online also allows customers to view and pay their bill, view their billing and payment history and update account information – all with a few clicks of a computer mouse.

“The programs and plans mentioned above, and more, are also available to customers by calling 1-800-ENTERGY,” added Hall.

Entergy New Orleans, Inc. is an electric and gas utility serving Orleans Parish and is a subsidiary of Entergy Corporation. The company provides electricity to approximately 150,000 customers and natural gas to approximately 96,000 customers in Orleans Parish.

Entergy’s Louisiana utility companies serve more than one million customers through the operating companies Entergy Louisiana, LLC and Entergy Gulf States Louisiana, L.L.C. With operations in southern, central and northeastern Louisiana, the companies are part of Entergy Corporation’s electric system serving 2.7 million customers in Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi and Texas.

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Entergy’s online address is entergy-neworleans.com or entergy-louisiana.com