Entergy Louisiana Opened a $2 Million Pot of One-Time $100 Bill Credits for Customers Below the Poverty Line, While the Money Lasts

Entergy Louisiana says the $2 million behind its new bill-credit program is shareholder money, and it is being handed out in $100 pieces. The one-time credits are for residential customers below the federal poverty level and for so-called ALICE households, according to Entergy’s announcement. Applications opened Wednesday, Oct. 28, at 9 a.m. through nine local United Way organizations, and the credits are available only while the funds last.

What the $2 Million Pays For, and Who Counts as ALICE

Each approved household gets a single $100 credit on its Entergy Louisiana bill. At that size, $2 million covers at most 20,000 credits if every dollar goes out in full $100 pieces.

The company ties the program to two groups. One is customers living below the federal poverty level. The other is ALICE households, short for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed, which earn more than the poverty line but less than the local cost of basic living. Entergy said it extended eligibility to ALICE households because many do not qualify for traditional assistance.

Nyka Scott, Entergy Louisiana’s vice president of customer service, described the program as built for customers who fall into the gap between qualifying for traditional assistance. Sarah Berthelot, president and CEO of the Louisiana Association of United Ways, said “financial hardship looks different from one Louisiana community to the next,” according to BIZ Magazine.

United Way of Southeast Louisiana’s guidelines, for example, use ALICE income ceilings of $30,708 for a one-person household and $88,068 for a household of four, according to its application page. Applicants must be a residential Entergy Louisiana customer and either the account holder or an authorized user. Entergy New Orleans customers are not eligible.

Nine United Way Partners, Parish by Parish

Customers do not apply to Entergy. They apply through the United Way that serves their parish, and the assignments are set by Entergy’s list:

• Capital Area United Way: Ascension, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberville, Livingston, Pointe Coupee, St. Helena, St. James, West Baton Rouge and West Feliciana.
• Landry-Evangeline United Way: St. Landry and Evangeline.
• United Way of Acadiana: Acadia, Iberia, Lafayette, St. Martin and Vermilion.
• United Way of Northeast Louisiana: Caldwell, East Carroll, Franklin, Jackson, Lincoln, Madison, Morehouse, Ouachita, Richland, Tensas, Union and West Carroll.
• United Way of Northwest Louisiana: Bienville, Bossier, Caddo, Claiborne, De Soto, Natchitoches, Red River, Sabine, Webster and Winn.
• United Way of South Louisiana: Assumption, Lafourche, St. Mary and Terrebonne.
• United Way of Southeast Louisiana: Jefferson, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. John the Baptist, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa and Washington.
• United Way of Southwest Louisiana: Allen, Avoyelles, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron, Catahoula, Concordia, Grant, Jefferson Davis, LaSalle, Rapides and Vernon.
• United Way of St. Charles: St. Charles.

Living in a participating parish is not enough on its own. Avoyelles Today reported on United Way of Southwest Louisiana’s notice that applicants must also be eligible Entergy Louisiana residential customers who meet the income rules, and that applications there are accepted “while funding remains available” with no closing date, according to the local report.

What Applicants Have to Upload

Applications are submitted online through the local United Way. Applicants need a photo ID, such as a driver’s license, state-issued ID or passport, plus income proof for every household earner age 18 or older. Entergy lists the first page of a 2025 tax return, 2025 W-2s, the most recent pay stub, or Social Security Administration 1099 or 1042-S forms and benefit-determination letters as accepted proof.

Several partners also ask for the most recent Entergy Louisiana bill, the account number, the account holder’s date of birth, the service address, household size and total annual income. Smartphones work for uploads, but United Way of Southeast Louisiana warns that every uploaded document must be readable. People without a computer can use a library, according to Entergy’s release.

Applying is not the same as being approved. A confirmation email shows only that an application was submitted, and the Southeast Louisiana page says status updates arrive by email within 10 days. If approved, Entergy can take up to 90 days to post the $100 to the account.

Which Application Windows Are Still Open on Nov. 6

Entergy’s release calls the credit available “while funds are available,” and the partners are not all on the same clock. The partners’ own pages, read on Nov. 6, show a mixed picture.

United Way of Northwest Louisiana set a hard schedule. According to the Red River Parish Journal, applications close Friday, Nov. 13, at noon, and supporting documents are due by noon on Friday, Nov. 20. Documents that arrive later will not be considered. The partner’s program page repeats those dates and says funding is limited and expected to go quickly.

United Way of Southeast Louisiana’s page says applications remain open while funding is available, and that there are currently no plans for a second round.

In northeast Louisiana, the picture has changed. A banner at the top of United Way of Northeast Louisiana’s Entergy assistance page says applications are now closed and that no more submissions are being accepted, even though the FAQ lower on the same page still lists the Oct. 28 opening. The page also says applicants are selected randomly after the application period closes.

For the other partners, the most recent public word came with the launch, when applications were described as open while funds last. A customer in any parish should check the local United Way’s page before gathering documents, and should expect that a limited pot may already be gone in some areas.

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This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.

Image: Chetvorno – CC0/Wikimedia Commons