For the first time in two decades, Congress recognized that people in the south need assistance staying cool during the region's extremely hot summers, and therefore, approved additional funding from the federal government of $1 billion to the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).

With families still struggling to pay winter's high energy bills, Entergy and its low-income advocate partners strongly encourage all low-income families and individuals, especially the elderly who live on fixed incomes, to seek out their local human services agency and apply for this money.

The additional allocation of federal funding will bring $84 million to Texas alone, $23.3 million to Arkansas, $32.6 million to Louisiana and $27.4 million to Mississippi.

“We have got to make sure that our customers who are struggling know that more money is available to help them pay past winter bills and future summer bills,” said Kay Arnold, Entergy's vice president of public affairs and lead corporate champion for Entergy's Low Income Customer Assistance Initiative. “In addition, our Congressional members need to be congratulated for their efforts to bring this additional aid to their needy constituents.”

Funding levels of LIHEAP have remained virtually flat since 1981, even though energy prices have been rising steadily. Congress intervened this time, bringing relief to those that can't afford the skyrocketing energy prices.

Entergy Corporation is an integrated energy company engaged primarily in electric power production and retail distribution operations. Entergy owns and operates power plants with approximately 30,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity, and it's the second-largest nuclear generator in the United States. Entergy, with approximately 14,000 employees, delivers electricity to 2.7 million utility customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas.

For more information, visit www.entergy-texas.com.

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