Entergy Mississippi, along with the Mississippi Public Service Commission, is announcing Operation Bill Assist; a $3.2 million project that can offer bill assistance, teach ways to save money and promote energy efficiency. Haley Fisackerly is President and CEO of Entergy Mississippi. He says the cost of natural gas has increased around 400% since 2019, surpassing the previous peak cost recorded during the 2008 financial crisis.
Fisackerly says “Natural gas is responsible for almost 60% of the energy we generate is a pass-through expense. And so we want to get out and make these programs available to help our more vulnerable Mississippians, those who need additional assistance, but also educate Mississippians on steps they can take to help reduce their electric bills.”
These initiatives include:
• $150 bill credit for moderate-income customers. Nearly $1.1 million will fund a temporary bill payment assistance program for Mississippi customers. The focus will be on moderate-income customers who struggle to pay utility bills, but do not qualify for federal bill assistance programs. These customers would receive a one-time $150 bill credit.
• Up to $1,000 for disabled and older customers in need. More than $540,000 will provide emergency utility bill payments for one or more months to older adults and customers with disabilities facing financial hardship. These funds will also provide agencies with administrative fees to cover added expenses associated with an increased volume of requests for help.
• Free $35 energy efficiency kits. Nearly $1.1 million will pay for money-saving energy efficiency kits. Customers can get these kits at community events in Entergy’s service area this fall or can request them online. Available to all customers, the kits can potentially save customers $5 per month or $60 annually, and combined with Entergy’s available online tools, can save customers as much as $300 annually.
• $460,000 for customer education. This money will fund a campaign to make Entergy customers aware of additional energy efficiency and bill help available to them. This will include outreach and assistance to low-income households on how they can apply for federal bill assistance in their area, including the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program known as LIHEAP.
Fisackerly says Entergy is also investing heavily in nuclear and solar power to potentially lower energy costs further.
This cost savings program is part of a $300 million settlement between Entergy and the Public Service Commission over accounting practices at the Grand Gulf Nuclear Station. Commissioner Brandon Presley of the northern district says the settlement has already resulted in a one-time bill credit of $80 for customers.
“This adds to that,” says Presley. “This makes that even more impactful. And so we’re going to continue to push, recognizing that regulators and the utilities have got to be proactive in how they look at the rising costs and make sure that we’re helping customers at every point.”
Mississippians seeking assistance can visit Entergy's website to schedule a home energy assessment and learn ways they can save additional money by reducing energy consumption.
