Louisiana residents struggling to pay electric bills have help available to them through one of the following Louisiana electric bill assistance programs.
One such help comes from the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). LIHEAP is a federal-funded, state-run program that provides energy bill assistance once per year for eligible households. To receive LIHEAP help, your household income must be less than 60% of Louisiana’s median income. Households with young children, disabled persons, or the elderly take precedence. To apply for this help, contact your Community Action Partnership or the Clifton Choctow Reservation.
LIHEAP can help Louisiana residents pay their heat or cooling bills. A payment on your behalf will be paid directly to your energy provider. Especially seek LIHEAP help if you are scheduled for electricity shutoff or it has already been turned off, as there is a special crisis program.
Most Louisiana utility companies also have in-house electric bill assistance. Don’t be afraid to admit that you are struggling with your bills—they may be able to apply a credit to your account or bill you at a lower rate.
Understand that these programs do not provide a cash payment to you directly. Any funds that are given to you are posted to your electricity account. There are two ways that they will do this.
One method is an emergency electricity grant that can deposit funds directly to your electricity account. This is done to prevent disconnection of power.
The other method is a permanent subsidy. You may actually qualify for a monthly grant that is posted to your account. These bill credits can offset much of your electricity usage, reducing your monthly bills to substantially less than they used to be.
A long-term solution to your energy needs is to weatherize your home. To help you do it and defray the costs, there are several weatherization programs available. The Weatherization Assistance Program is available to those who are at or below 200% of the state median income.
Long is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a B.A. in Industrial Relations. He subsequently received his Certificate in Nonprofit Management from Duke University. His Certificate in Financial Planning was issued by Florida State University.
Long has achieved the Accredited Credit Counselor and Accredited Financial Counselor certifications through the Association for Financial Counseling, Planning and Education. Long originally achieved the Certified Credit Counselor designation through the National Institute for Financial Education.
In addition to years of nonprofit leadership, Long has been an innovator in the field of volunteer tax return preparation programs. He assists volunteer associations and nonprofit organizations who seek to integrate credit counseling and asset-building programs with free personal income tax preparation. His approach to using free credit reports as both an incentive and a screening tool for placement into asset-building programs has been shared with members of the National Community Tax Coalition, the EITC-Carolinas Initiative of MDC, Inc. and nonprofit groups across the Carolinas.
Long assists members of our armed forces in the Carolinas, Iowa, Rhode Island, Georgia and Germany with financial readiness. Please support our Soldiers, Marines, Airmen and Sailors!
Favorite quote:
"The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not."
Thomas Jefferson
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