Entergy Creates COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund to Help Customers in Need
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Entergy COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund provides financial assistance to ALICE households, low-income seniors, and disabled customers via United Way grants for rent, mortgage, utilities, food, and bill payment support during COVID-19, alongside a disconnect moratorium.
Breaking Down the Details
A shareholder-funded program offering essential grants and bill support to Entergy customers affected by COVID-19.
Shareholders commit $700,000; grants distributed via United Way partners.
Focus on ALICE families, low-income seniors, and disabled customers.
Disconnects suspended; bill tools and LIHEAP advocacy underway.
In an effort to help working families experiencing financial hardships as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, the Entergy Charitable Foundation has established the COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund, recognizing the need for electricity across communities.
"The health and safety of our customers, employees and communities is Entergy's top priority," said Leo Denault, chairman and CEO of Entergy Corporation. "For more than 100 years, Entergy has never wavered in our commitment to supporting our customers and the communities we serve. This pandemic is no different. During this challenging time, we are helping lessen the impact of this crisis on the most vulnerable in our communities. I strongly encourage our business partners to join us in this effort."
As devastating and disruptive as this crisis is for everyone, we know from past experience that those most heavily impacted are ALICE households (low-wage working families) and low-income elderly and disabled customers, who often face energy insecurity during such events - roughly 40%-50% of Entergy's customer base.
"We know from experience that working families and low-income elderly and disabled customers are hardest hit during times of crisis," said Patty Riddlebarger, vice president of Entergy's corporate social responsibility. "We are working quickly to make funds available to community partners that serve vulnerable households to lessen the economic impact of the COVID-19 crisis and ensure that families have the resources they need to get by during this time of uncertainty."
To support our most vulnerable customers, Entergy shareholders are committing $700,000 to the COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund to help qualifying customers with basic needs such as food and nutrition, rent and mortgage assistance, and other critical needs, alongside measures like Texas utilities waiving fees that ease household costs, until financial situations become more stable. Grants from the fund will be provided to United Way organizations and other nonprofit partners across Entergy's service area that are providing services to impacted households.
Company shareholders will also match employee contributions to the COVID-19 relief efforts of local United Way organizations up to $100,000 to maximize impact.
In addition to establishing the COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund, Entergy is taking additional steps to support and protect our customers during this crisis, similar to PG&E's pandemic response measures, including:
With support from our regulators, we are temporarily suspending customer disconnects, as seen in New Jersey and New York policies, as we continue to monitor the situation.
We are working with our network of community advocates, as the industry coordination with federal partners continues, to request a funding increase of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program to help alleviate financial hardships caused by COVID-19 on vulnerable households.
We are developing bill payment solutions and tools to help customers pay their accumulated balances once the disconnect moratorium is lifted.
Already in place to support vulnerable customers is Entergy's The Power to Care program, which provides emergency bill payment assistance to seniors and disabled individuals. To mark the 20th anniversary of Entergy's low-income customer initiative, the limit of shareholders' dollar for dollar match of customer donations was increased from $500,000 to $1 million per year. Shareholders continue to match employee donations dollar for dollar with no limit.
