Bill Management Tools Help Entergy Arkansas Customers Keep Cool and Save Money This Summer

Rhea-AI Summary

Entergy Arkansas has launched new resources to help customers manage their electricity bills and save money during extreme summer heat. The company introduced an online Bill Toolkit that connects customers to bill management, energy efficiency, and financial assistance resources. Additionally, Entergy Arkansas now offers Single Stop, a service that helps connect customers to various financial resources beyond utility assistance.

Key features include:

• myAdvisor: Allows customers to set usage alerts and monitor daily energy consumption
• Flexible payment options like Pick-A-Date and Level Billing
• PaperFREE billing and AutoPay for convenient bill management
• Financial assistance programs such as LIHEAP and The Power to Care
• 'Beat the Heat' program providing bill payment assistance, fans, and energy efficiency kits

Entergy Arkansas aims to help customers cope with rising temperatures and increased electricity usage while maintaining some of the lowest electricity rates in the country.

Positive

• Introduction of online Bill Toolkit to help customers manage energy use and costs
• Launch of Single Stop service for connecting customers to various financial resources
• Implementation of 'Beat the Heat' program to assist low-income customers
• Offering of flexible payment options and bill management tools
• Maintaining low electricity rates despite extreme temperatures

Negative

• Record-level temperatures leading to higher electricity usage and potentially increased costs for customers

Insights

Financial Analyst

Entergy Arkansas's proactive approach to customer bill management is a positive development for the company's long-term stability. By offering tools like myAdvisor and flexible payment options, they're likely to reduce bad debt expenses and improve cash flow predictability. The introduction of Single Stop and the "Beat the Heat" program demonstrates a commitment to customer retention and social responsibility, which could enhance brand loyalty and potentially reduce customer churn. However, these initiatives may have a short-term negative impact on revenue if they significantly reduce energy consumption. Overall, this customer-centric strategy should positively impact Entergy's financial health in the long run, balancing customer affordability with the company's financial stability.

Market Research Analyst

Entergy Arkansas's new customer-focused initiatives reflect a growing trend in the utility sector towards enhanced customer engagement and digital transformation. The Bill Toolkit and Single Stop platform align with increasing consumer demand for personalized, tech-driven solutions. This move could improve customer satisfaction scores, a key metric for utilities. The emphasis on assisting low-income customers is timely, given the rising cost-of-living concerns. These efforts may position Entergy favorably against competitors and could potentially attract ESG-focused investors. However, the success of these programs will depend on user adoption rates and their actual impact on reducing energy consumption and bill delinquencies, which should be closely monitored in the coming quarters.

Resources help customers monitor energy use, manage bills and find financial assistance

LITTLE ROCK, AR / ACCESSWIRE / September 6, 2024 / Extreme heat can increase electricity use and costs, and the past two summers have brought record-level temperatures and higher electricity usage by our customers. Entergy Arkansas is committed to helping our customers stay cool and save money this summer with a variety of bill management tools and customer assistance resources.

Entergy's newly launched online Bill Toolkit connects customers to bill management, energy efficiency and financial assistance resources. This new resource helps our customers explore simple ways they can lower their electricity use and costs.

"In the face of extreme temperatures, we're doing all we can to keep costs down for customers with some of the lowest electricity rates in the country," said Ventrell Thompson, vice president of customer service for Entergy Arkansas. "We know our customers are seeing higher prices on their monthly purchases and expenses and we want to help where we can. Our customer bill toolkit can help them take control of their budget and save money this summer by monitoring their energy use, managing their bills and finding financial assistance."

Besides the Bill Toolkit, another new offering by Entergy Arkansas is Single Stop, which builds pathways out of poverty by helping connect customers to existing resources available to them in a one-stop shop. It goes beyond just utility assistance. Its technology leverages existing financial resources with opportunities for education, counseling, training and support.

Track your energy use

Bill management tools like myAdvisor empower our customers to set electricity usage alerts and monitor how much energy they use each day. Tracking electricity use over time can help customers identify habits that contribute to higher use and budget their monthly expenses. With their myAdvisor dashboard, customers have access to usage and cost details, bill history, bill projections and analyzer tools and more.

Manage your bills your way

Entergy Arkansas offers several flexible payment options so customers can choose when, where and how they receive their bills.

• Pick-A-Date allows customers to pay their bills when it works best for them.

• Level Billing allows customers to "level out" seasonal energy use fluctuations, making their bills more consistent every month.

• PaperFREE billing allows customers to get their bills emailed as soon as they post and instant access to two years of billing history.

• AutoPay allows customers to avoid late fees, writing checks and paying for postage by having bills automatically deduct from their bank accounts.

Entergy Arkansas encourages customers who may need additional payment options to reach out. To see if customers automatically qualify for deferred payment arrangements or payment extensions, they can visit our mobile app or myEntergy.

Find financial assistance

For customers needing assistance to pay their bills, Entergy Arkansas is here to help. Throughout this summer, Entergy Arkansas is implementing a series of measures through its "Beat the Heat" program focused on helping our low-income customers and communities stay cool and pay their bills. The program provides bill payment assistance, fans and energy efficiency kits and support from local community partners to help hundreds of residential customers across the state.

In addition, Entergy Arkansas partners with local and state organizations to connect qualifying customers with financial assistance including:

• Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program provides financial assistance for energy bills and other energy-related expenses.

• The Power to Care program provides emergency bill payment assistance to older adults and customers with disabilities.

• Single Stop makes it easy for customers to quickly and confidentially check their eligibility for federal, state and local financial assistance.

For more ways to save energy and money, customers can visit BillToolkit.entergy.com.

About Entergy Arkansas

Entergy Arkansas, LLC provides electricity to approximately 730,000 customers in 63 counties. Entergy Arkansas is a subsidiary of Entergy Corporation, a Fortune 500 electric company. Entergy powers life for 3 million customers through our operating companies in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. We're investing in the reliability and resilience of the energy system while helping our region transition to cleaner, more efficient energy solutions. With roots in our communities for more than 100 years, Entergy is a nationally recognized leader in sustainability and corporate citizenship. Since 2018, we have delivered more than $100 million in economic benefits each year to local communities through philanthropy, volunteerism and advocacy. Entergy is headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana, and has approximately 12,000 employees. For the latest news from Entergy Arkansas, visit the Newsroom and connect with @EntergyArk on social media.

View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Entergy Corporation on 3blmedia.com.

Contact Info:
Spokesperson: Entergy Corporation
Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/entergy-corporation
Email: info@3blmedia.com

SOURCE: Entergy Corporation

View the original press release on accesswire.com

FAQ

What new tools has Entergy Arkansas introduced to help customers manage their electricity bills?

Entergy Arkansas has introduced an online Bill Toolkit and Single Stop service to help customers manage their electricity bills, monitor energy use, and access financial assistance resources.

How can Entergy Arkansas customers track their energy usage?

Customers can use the myAdvisor dashboard to set electricity usage alerts, monitor daily energy consumption, access usage and cost details, bill history, and bill projections.

What flexible payment options does Entergy Arkansas offer?

Entergy Arkansas offers Pick-A-Date, Level Billing, PaperFREE billing, and AutoPay as flexible payment options for customers to manage their bills.

What financial assistance programs are available for Entergy Arkansas customers?

Financial assistance programs include the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), The Power to Care program, and Single Stop for checking eligibility for various assistance programs.

What is Entergy Arkansas' 'Beat the Heat' program?

The 'Beat the Heat' program provides bill payment assistance, fans, energy efficiency kits, and support from local community partners to help low-income customers stay cool and pay their bills during summer.