Some La. residents can defer utility bill hikes BATON ROUGE, LA. (AP) (wrkf) - Energy regulators decided Tuesday that some Louisiana utility customers can postpone payment of hikes in their electricity bills for up to one year.

The state Public Service Commission approved the emergency program that will allow low-income senior citizens and others to put off paying increases in their electric bills triggered by rising natural gas prices over the past year.

Eligible customers who sign up with their private utilities within the next month can defer payment, but only on the difference between their 2007 and 2008 monthly bills.

The program applies only to qualified customers of four utilities: Entergy Louisiana LLC, Entergy Gulf States Louisiana Incorporated, Cleco Corporation and Southwestern Electric Power Company.

It does not apply to customers of Entergy New Orleans Incorporated or the state's cooperative energy groups.

Eligible customers include low-income elderly people; those whose only income is Social Security; people who receive food stamps or federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families payments; and those whose homes have life-sustaining medical equipment. © Copyright 2009, wrkf