Entergy expands mobile services offered to customers

New Orleans – Customers of Entergy New Orleans, Inc. and Entergy Louisiana, LLC in the New Orleans area can enjoy even easier ways to manage their utility accounts with Entergy’s texting service.

The Louisiana companies have added new functions for texting cell phones and smart phones that can access the Internet. The new features join those available since the companies first offered online transactions in 2008 and texting services last year.

“Customers can now use their cell phones to manage their Entergy account,” said Melonie Hall, customer service director, Entergy New Orleans, Inc. “No waiting to talk with a representative or visit a quick payment center, and no need to use a computer – My Account Anywhere truly offers fast, convenient service.”

New Texting Services

Entergy New Orleans and Entergy Louisiana have added these features to My Account Anywhere for customers who have texting cell phones:

• BAL (see the account number, QPC number, balance, due date, last payment amount, and if applicable, past due amount, disconnect status and reconnect amount).
• EXT (request an extension of a few days for the due date of a bill. Limitations apply).
• ORDER (check the status of a recent work order or permit for an Entergy New Orleans or Entergy Louisiana account).
• INFO (see information about new services and latest updates).

To use My Account Anywhere, customers must register a texting cell phone number to their electricity account. Registration is simple. From any texting cell phone, they send the message “REG” (without quotes) to 368374. The system will respond and ask for their ZIP code and Entergy New Orleans or Entergy Louisiana account number.

To save even more time, customers can save the number 368374 on their phones with a simple name such as “Entergy.” They will be able to text quickly without having to remember a number.
Customers registered for My Account Online, the company’s Internet-based account management service, also can register their cell phone online.

Depending on their wireless plans, customers may be charged for text messages associated with My Account Anywhere. Detailed information is available on entergy-neworleans.com or entergy-louisiana.com.

Entergy New Orleans and Entergy Louisiana first offered texting service for outages last October, so customers could report, request and receive information about power outages at their home or business.

In addition to the new features announced today, customers can use the My Account Anywhere functions listed below to interact with the company:

• REG (to register an account and add additional accounts).
• OUT (to report an outage on an account).
• STAT (to request status on an outage for an account).
• HELP (to see all keyword commands available).
• NICK (to see all accounts and nicknames. To set up a nickname).
• CANCEL (to deregister an account from a cell phone).
• PAUSE (to temporarily turn off outage text messages to a cell phone).
• RESUME (to resume text messages to a cell phone after using the pause command).

“The system responds in just a few seconds and provides useful information very quickly,” said Hall.

As a courtesy to My Account Anywhere customers, the companies have added new automatic alert messages to the power outage text notifications originally offered. Customers can manage all of the texting and e-mail alerts they receive from the company when updating account information on My Account Online. The new automatic text alerts notify customers when:

• Their bill payment has been returned.
• A disconnect notice has been issued.
• Their service is about to be disconnected.

Customers registered for My Account Online also can choose to receive an alert when their payment is due and when their automatic payment exceeds the amount they specify.

New Smart Phone Services

In addition to the new texting features, Entergy New Orleans and Entergy Louisiana now offer a mobile version of My Account Online. Registered customers who have a smart phone that can access the Internet have nearly all of the online features available in an easy-to-use format.

“Customers can conduct utility account transactions from anywhere on their smart phones, just like using a computer,” said Hall. Features include:

• See summary and detailed account information.
• Pay a bill.
• View scheduled payments and billing history.
• Change bill delivery options, change automatic bill payment settings and change Level Billing options.
• Donate to Power to Care.
• View outages at the customer’s location.

It’s quick for customers to register for My Account Online. They just go to entergy.com and select the “register” link near the top left of the page. They will need their account number and service location ZIP code.

The ability to update account information is unavailable through smart phones. Customers must make these changes, such as storing or updating bank information, passwords or mailing address, through the Internet version of My Account Online.

“These new features are among the best in the business,” added Hall, “and help make it easier for customers to do business with us.”

Entergy New Orleans, Inc. is an electric and gas utility serving Orleans Parish and is a subsidiary of Entergy Corporation. The company provides electricity to approximately 150,000 customers and natural gas to approximately 96,000 customers in Orleans Parish.

Entergy’s Louisiana utility companies serve more than one million customers through the operating companies Entergy Louisiana, LLC and Entergy Gulf States Louisiana, L.L.C. With operations in southern, central and northeastern Louisiana, the companies are part of Entergy Corporation’s electric system serving 2.7 million customers in Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi and Texas.

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