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Customer Assistance Programs

Qualify now for the Cleco CARE discount

Cleco now offers a CARE (Cleco Alternative Rate for Electricity) program for low-income customers.

The CARE program provides low income customers with a 25 percent discount on the fuel portion of their bills during July, August and September.

Customers must qualify for the CARE discount through their local community action agency during the months of February, March and April.

Income qualifications for this discount are the same as those required for Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) assistance.

Customers who apply and are accepted for LIHEAP assistance during the three-month CARE signup period will automatically be approved for the CARE discount

Customers will have to re-qualify each year for the CARE discount.

Click here to access the qualifications.

See list below to find your local agency.

The Power of Sharing Fund
If you would like to help those who struggle to pay their energy bills, Cleco offers the Power of Sharing Fund. This fund, formerly called the Energy Fund, has been in effect since 1985 to assist economically disadvantaged seniors and disabled citizens. Monies collected through the fund are used to assist with energy bills, purchase fans and blankets, weatherize homes, and make minor repairs to heating and cooling units.

Cleco customers and employees contribute to the fund, and Cleco provides matching donations. Assistance provided by the fund is distributed through the Louisiana Association of Councils on Aging. To find out if you or a loved one qualifies for assistance, contact your local Council on Aging. You may choose an option on your bill to contribute $1, $2, or $5 to the Power of Sharing Fund.

Energy Emergency Deferred Billing Program (EEDBP)
If the Louisiana Public Service Commission declares an energy emergency, eligible Cleco customers may defer a portion of their bill. Cleco developed this program under the guidelines of Legislative Act 629 of 2001, and Louisiana Public Service Commission Order No. R-26038. The deferral can be paid over a period of up to 12 months, depending on the amount. The amount deferred would be the amount in excess of a customer's previous year's Cleco bill for the period of time specified in the declared emergency. The example below shows what could be deferred.

$160.00 Current bill
$100.00 Pay now (bill for same month last year)
$60.00 Amount that can be deferred

To be eligible, last year's bill must be at least $20.00 lower than the bill for the specified period of time deemed an emergency. Generally, you would be responsible for paying the amount paid in the same month last year, or $100.00, on the regular due date. The $60.00 would be deferred and paid in installments over some period of time (see below).

Amounts and periods of maximum deferral are:

$20.00 - $75.00 may be deferred over a period of 1-3 months
$75.01 - $150.00 may be deferred over a period of 1-6 months
$150.00 and above may be deferred over a period of 1-12 months

Eligible customers

• Those whose income does not exceed 150 percent of the poverty level as established by the federal government
  
• Those who receive food stamps or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
• Those whose sole income consists of Social Security payments
• Vital government entities designated by the LPSC as providers of services essential to public health, safety and welfare
• Persons certified by a physician as needing life-sustaining, electrically operated equipment, or life-sustaining medical treatment that requires electricity.

After eligibility is established, customers may receive a deferment on their most recent bill that is not past due. Each month during the declared emergency, eligible customers will receive a deferment unless the customer withdraws form the program.

Application process
Enrollment for the program is done through the community action agencies listed below. Those wishing to enroll in the program should first call their local agency for information regarding the process used at that agency. Customers will need a Cleco bill, along with proof that establishes them as a member of one of the eligible groups when applying. Customers will be asked to fill out some paperwork, and eligibility will be verified by the agency and forwarded to Cleco. Those currently certified as Cleco critical care customers will only need to sign some paperwork to initiate participation in the program. Paperwork for critical care customers can be sent by mail at the customer's request.

Customers will have to re-certify every two years to remain eligible.

Note: Those currently enrolled in Cleco's Levelized Billing Program will receive no benefit from enrolling in the EEDBP as their energy bills are already levelized over a 12-month period.

Still have questions? Check out our Q&A.

Community Action Partnerships (CAP) Agencies
LIHEAP Providers by Parish