Enrollment period ends May 30

PINEVILLE, La. – May 9, 2022 – Cleco customers who meet the income guidelines of the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) are eligible to receive a 25 percent discount on the fuel portion of their electric utility bill through the Cleco Alternative Rate for Electricity (CARE) discount program.

“With rising fuel costs and higher U.S. inflation, we want to make sure customers who meet the income guidelines are aware of this Cleco benefit as well as remind customers who received the discount last year to re-apply,” said Kristi Moore, director of customer operations. “This program was created to help low-income customers, including the elderly and disabled. The discount lowers customers’ fuel charge during the three hottest months of the year.”

The discount is applied to eligible customers’ bills in July, August and September. The fuel charge on customer bills represents the cost of fuel needed to generate power and any purchased power. It’s passed directly through “at cost” to customers, meaning there is no markup.

To receive the 25 percent CARE discount on the fuel charge, customers must enroll through their local community action agency during the enrollment period which is Oct. 1 through May 30. A list of the agencies by parish is available on the Louisiana Housing Corporation website at www.lhc.la.gov/energy-assistance under the LIHEAP provider directory.

Customers must re-apply each year for the discount. However, customers who receive LIHEAP benefits during the enrollment period are automatically enrolled in the CARE discount program and will receive the discount from Cleco. LIHEAP is a federally funded program that helps low-income households pay their home energy bills.

2022 income levels for LIHEAP are listed below.