Many Delta Utilities customers in the Baton Rouge and New Orleans areas are upset over their high gas bills. Rahsha Williams is the head of a community center in Baton Rouge, and she told the Public Service Commission that Delta Utilities natural gas bills are a real problem.
“Seniors who are on fixed incomes, walking in with shaking hands because their gas bill is now higher than their grocery budget,” Williams said.
On July 1st, Delta Utilities acquired Entergy’s natural gas utilities in East Baton Rouge Parish and New Orleans. It’s caused confusion, because these customers are now getting separate electric and gas bills. Williams says energy bills are already high, and now seniors on fixed incomes are trying to figure out how to pay their gas bills.
“Things like loss of sleep, skipped meals, inability to afford medicine; and these are not just abstract things. This is a public health impact,” Williams said.
Delta Utilities spokeswoman Sarah Porteus says gas bills are high because demand is higher in the winter months, and the cost of natural gas increased 150% from September to February.
“The good news is that we are seeing indications of the market starting to come down, so we are expecting that customers are going to begin seeing some relief in their March bill,” Porteus said.
Porteus says customers who are unable to pay their bill can contact Delta Utilities to work out a payment plan, and she also encourages customers to utilize levelized billing.
“So that you have a more manageable, more predictable bill. You’re basically paying the same amount every month,” Porteus explained.
The Louisiana Public Service Commission will perform an audit of Delta’s billing and costs this summer.
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