Help for Paying Your Electric Bills

When your income won’t stretch any further, there’s help. Programs are available for both emergency bill payment assistance and long-term relief.

The Power to Care

Entergy, its employees and its customers regularly contribute to The Power to Care, a special fund that provides emergency utility assistance for elderly and disabled customers. Inquiries on applying for The Power to Care should be directed to the Southern Good Faith Fund, 501-661-0322 Ext. 31 or go to their web site for additional information. To donate to the Power to Care, click here.

The LIHEAP Program

LIHEAP (Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program) is a program that 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. Click here for a list of local community action agencies in your area.

Protections against extreme temperatures

Hot Weather Rule – Entergy will not disconnect registered elderly or handicapped customers when the temperature is projected to be 95 degrees or greater.

Cold Weather Rule – Entergy will not disconnect residential customers when the temperature is projected to be 32 degrees or lower.

Special cases

Sales Tax Exemption – Registered customers with an annual household income of less than $12,000 are exempted from the sales tax on the first 500 kWh each month. To qualify, a customer will need to fill out a registration form and mail it to:

Entergy
Customer Relations-Arkansas
P.O. Box 551
Little Rock, AR 72203.

Click here for the form.

The form is also available at a local Arkansas Revenue Office or by request to our Customer Service Center at 1-800-ENTERGY.

Landlord/Tenant Agreement – This option is for the protection of customers whose electric service is included with their rental payment. The agreement protects the tenant from disconnection because of the landlord's actions.

Essential Service Credit - This program provides a reduced rate for customers who use electric service for only basic, essential services. Basic service is defined as annual electricity consumption of no more than 6000 kwh or an average of 500 kwh per month. The other restriction is that the customer's maximum summer consumption is not more than 1.2 times their maximum winter month's consumption.

Certified Medical Emergency – This program allows for electric service to be continued for up to thirty days for any qualifying customer whose disconnection would cause a medical emergency. To qualify for this benefit, the customer must furnish Entergy a medical certificate from a physician.

Protected Customer – This program is available to residential customers age 65 or older and customers with severe mental or physical impairments that substantially limit their ability to manage their energy costs. For qualified customers registered with this status, Entergy will attempt to make personal contact and explain payment and assistance options in an attempt to avoid service disconnection.

Qualified customers can register by filling out the registration form and mailing it to:

Entergy
Credit Department
P. O. Box 551
Little Rock, AR 72203

Click here for the form.

The form is also available by request through our Customer Service Center at 1-800- ENTERGY (1-800-368-3749).

Life Support Identity Program – This program assists customers who are dependent upon life support systems. Special consideration is given to these customers when normal disconnection of service would have occurred and in restoration of service following a power outage.

Deposits

Entergy customers use electrical service before paying for it. Each month's bill reflects usage during the previous month. For this reason, new customers may be required to make a refundable security deposit, which helps protect Entergy and its customers from those who use electricity and then leave without paying for it. Because such losses affect all of our customers, the security deposit helps us keep everyone's costs down.

Deposit Requirements – The initial deposit is typically based on two month's average billing for a residential customer, except in extenuating circumstances. When no usage history is available, we use an average of all residential customer bills.

When a deposit is required, customers have two options:

• Pay in two installments, one at a Quick Pay Center before service is initiated and the other will be billed on the first month's bill, or

• The customer may be billed for the full amount on your first month's electric service bill.

Alternatives to Deposits – In some cases, the security requirement can be met without paying the deposit. Residential customers can secure their accounts in two ways:

Another Entergy customer, if approved, can complete a notarized "third-party guarantee" form, agreeing to pay an amount equal to the required deposit amount, should the new customer leave an unpaid bill, or.....

The applicant's previous electric utility can provide a "Letter of Recommendation" stating that the customer has paid his or her bill on time for the previous 12 months.