Customer Assistance Programs

CARE provides eligible customers a 25% discount on the fuel portion of their electric utility bill year-round. To receive the CARE discount, customers must meet the income guidelines of the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and enroll through their local Community Action Agency.

A list of Community Action Agencies by parish is available on the Louisiana Housing Corporation website at www.lhc.la.gov/energy-assistance under the LIHEAP provider directory. Customers who receive LIHEAP benefits are automatically enrolled in the CARE program and will receive the discount.

Who is Unite Us and what do they do?

• Unite Us is a coordinated care referral network of health and social service providers.

• Unite Us does not provide direct funding for services but connects individuals to community-based resources beyond utilities to help meet various needs.

What assistance is available to Cleco customers through Unite Us?

• Unite Us can connect Cleco customers to resources to obtain food, clothing, lodging, childcare, transportation, mental health services, utility bill payment assistance and more.
• Assistance is based on available resources, and customers must meet eligibility criteria such as income to receive assistance.  

How does the program work?

• Complete and submit an Assistance Request Form through Unite Us. 
  • Provide your date of birth and contact information.
  • Select the service you are seeking from the drop-down menu. While the form only allows you to select one service initially, you can receive multiple social care services.
• Unite Us will contact you to discuss your need within three (3) business days.
  • Unite Us will make three (3) attempts to contact you using your preferred contact method.
  • Unite Us will call you from an 866 phone number, send a text or an email.
• Customers must respond to the referral(s) and follow through with any next steps to receive assistance.
• It can take several business days to connect customers with resources, so customers should complete the Assistance Request Form as soon as possible.

Cleco created this program under the guidelines of Legislative Act 629 of 2001, and Louisiana Public Service Commission Order No. R-26038. Under this program, if the Louisiana Public Service Commission (LPSC) declares an energy emergency, eligible customers may defer a portion of their energy bill. 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 how the program works.

• Current bill: $160
• Amount to be paid by customer: $100 (based on energy bill for same month last year)
• Amount that can be deferred: $60

To be eligible, last year's bill must be at least $20 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 on the regular due date. The $60 would be deferred and paid in installments over a period of time (see below).

Amounts and periods of maximum deferral

• $20 - $75 may be deferred over a period of 1-3 months
• $75.01 - $150 may be deferred over a period of 1-6 months
• $150 and above may be deferred over a period of 1-12 months
• Customers whose income does not exceed 150 percent of the poverty level as established by the federal government
• Customers who receive food stamps or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
• Customers 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.

Who’s eligible?
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.

How do I apply?
Enroll through your local community action agencies. You will need a Cleco bill and proof that establishes you as a member of an eligible group to apply. The community action agency will forward approved applicants to Cleco. Cleco certified critical care customers 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. You must be recertified every two years to remain eligible.

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

Power Wise weatherization services may include blown-in attic insulation, air and duct sealing to reduce air leakage, replacement of regular light bulbs with LEDs and installation of low-flow faucet aerators and shower heads. Home energy assessment and qualified measures are provided, on a first come first serve basis, to qualified Cleco residential customers at no out-of-pocket cost.,

Customers may sign up at www.cleco.com/weatherization or by calling Power Wise™ at 1-833-373-6842. Once signed up, a Cleco-approved contractor will schedule the weatherization assessment. 

What is Cleco TOUCH? 
TOUCH is a 12-month time-of-use energy pilot program in which electricity is priced per kWh based on the season and when used.  It’s designed to help customers manage their energy costs by shifting usage to times in which rates are lower (off peak).  TOUCH gives customers more control over their bill!

How does the program work? 
Cleco’s TOUCH program is divided into two seasons with on-peak hours and off-peak hours.    

• Summer season is from May through September.
  Under the TOUCH program, usage during the summer months is billed at different rates, depending on the time of day.  Electricity used Monday through Friday from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. is billed at Cleco’s on-peak rates, which is when the price of electricity is often higher.  Electricity used all other hours during the day is billed at Cleco’s off-peak rates.  To get the most out of the program, customers must reduce their usage during on-peak hours and perform those tasks during off-peak hours.  If customers don’t manage their usage during on-peak hours, that electricity will be billed at the higher on-peak rates. 

• Winter season is from October through April.
  Under the TOUCH program, all usage during the winter months, regardless of the time of a day, is billed at Cleco’s off-peak rates.  

What about weekends and holidays? 
TOUCH program on-peak usage applies to weekdays only, Monday through Friday from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m.  Weekends and summer holidays (Memorial Day, Independence Day and Labor Day) are billed at off-peak rates, regardless of the time (all hours).

 What are the TOUCH rates?
Residential Customers
On-peak rate: 19 cents per kWh
Off-peak rate: 5.2 cents per kWh

Commercial Customers
On-peak rate: 20 cents per kWh
Off-peak rate: 6.8 cents per kWh

How do I know if this program is right for me?
This program is best for customers who are able to use a lot less energy during on-peak hours, Monday through Friday from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m.  This means not using major home appliances like air conditioning units and other equipment such as air conditioners, ovens, dishwashers, washing machines, clothes dryers, etc., and installing a timer on pools and running pumps only as long as needed. 

When does the program begin? 
TOUCH is a pilot program that begins in February.  Rates are reflected on monthly bills starting in February using January’s usage. 

How do I sign up?
Eligible customers are invited to enroll each year normally in December.  Participation is voluntary, and customers who choose to sign up must stay in the program for 12 months.