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NEW ORLEANS (WGNO)— Thousands of Entergy New Orleans customers were pleasantly surprised when they found out that Entergy credited their bills.

It was part of the New Orleans City Council’s Support Fund Program, and the recipients had no idea the money was coming.

Every bit certainly counts and two recent programs, one through the New Orleans City Council and the other through United Way are both helping in a big way. These programs helped giving credit to customer’s on their Entergy bills.

The bills keep piling up!

“I’m on a fixed income and I don’t get a raise, and there are a lot of people like me,” Harry Williams, Entergy Customer said.

“Everything is going up. Nothing is coming down so we are struggling,” Dianne George, Entergy Customer said.

With inflation stressing everyone out, what a nice surprise to open your mailbox and get a letter from Entergy saying your bill is being credited.

16,000 residential gas customers who were in arrears as of March 1st and owed money were the ones who received the one-time credit payment to their accounts.

“This is a program set up through City Council. There were funds that were identified that were owed back to the customers,” Sandra Diggs-Miller, Vice-President of Customer Service with Entergy New Orleans said.

She said it is important for Entergy to be more inclusive in how they are helping customers get some relief.

In addition to the New Orleans City Council Support Fund, another program through United Way which you had to apply helped 6,300 customers with $150 credited to their bills.

“Because a lot of people were choosing between medicine and paying their utilities,” Miller said.

So with winter approaching and natural gas prices rising bills could get very expensive, so how does Entergy hope to help in the future?

“We are always looking for ways to work with City Council to help customers with bills. The Council will take a look at the funds to see what’s available,” Miller said.

Now’s the time to contact Entergy if you need help paying your past due bills because the disconnects are scheduled to begin on November 1st.

Entergy offers tips and assistance on how to better manage and pay your bills through their Energy Efficiency Smart Program and other programs.