Help paying utility bills in Mississippi

The Mississippi Public Service Commission and your rights

The Mississippi Public Service Commission (PSC) publishes a bill of rights for customers of the electric, natural gas, water and telephone companies it regulates. One of the most useful rights is notice: a regulated utility must send written notice of a pending disconnection at least five days before shutting off service, with a date on or after which it may happen. You also have the right to negotiate a delayed payment plan with an electric or natural gas company, on the company's terms. If a deposit for new service is more than $100, you can negotiate monthly installments. Many water and sewer systems are run by cities with their own rules, so check with your local system directly if that bill is behind.

Freeze warnings, heat warnings and the mid-winter rule

Mississippi ties some protections to the weather. If the National Weather Service has issued a freeze warning for your county as of 8:00 a.m. on the scheduled disconnection day, an electric or gas company cannot shut you off for nonpayment that day. The same 8:00 a.m. test applies to electric service when an Excessive Heat Warning is in effect. Separately, the PSC's mid-winter rule (Service Rule 8.120) lets customers in extreme financial difficulty avoid electric or gas disconnection between December 1 and April 1. To use it, tell the utility you cannot pay and deliver a copy of your latest bill, with a signed statement certifying the hardship, to the local office before the cutoff time in your notice.

What the mid-winter payment plan requires

The mid-winter rule is not a free pass. Under Rule 8.120, you must pay in full any amounts due on bills issued before November 11, then sign a special payment plan with a first payment due at signing. After that, you pay 133 percent of the levelized billing amount each month until past amounts are paid and the account is current, and the utility may then move you to its level payment plan. Any unpaid balance cannot carry past December 1 of the next winter season. If you break the agreement, the utility may terminate service after at least five days of written notice. Read the plan carefully before you sign so you know exactly what monthly amount you are committing to.

Medical certificates and LIHEAP commitments

A medical doctor licensed in Mississippi can write a notice certifying that losing service would create a life-threatening situation for someone in your home. The PSC's bill of rights says this lets you avoid disconnection for nonpayment for 60 days. Rule 8.120 also lets a customer avoid winter disconnection of heating service with a physician's statement that stopping it would create a medical emergency. Ask your utility for its medical certificate form right away. Another right protects households approved for Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) help: if the aid covers the past-due balance, is payable within 30 days and the utility has been notified, you can avoid disconnection for nonpayment.

Applying for LIHEAP through MDHS and community action agencies

The Mississippi Department of Human Services (MDHS) runs LIHEAP through its Division of Community Services, offered in all 82 counties while funds last. Start with a pre-application on the Common Web Portal on Access MS and mark Community Services. You will get a letter with an appointment at your local Community Action Agency, where you complete the full application in person with photo ID, Social Security numbers, proof of income, proof of residence and your utility bills. Households at or below 60 percent of state median income can qualify, and homes with elderly or disabled members or children 5 or younger get priority. The Energy Crisis Intervention Program (ECIP) handles emergencies, and approved payments go straight to the energy company.

Entergy Mississippi options and filing a PSC complaint

Entergy Mississippi customers have several tools. A payment extension buys a few extra days, level billing averages your bill over a rolling 12 months, and Power to Care, run with local nonprofits, provides emergency bill help for customers 60 or older or with a disability whose household income is at or below 150 percent of the federal poverty level. A federally funded Weatherization Assistance Program, run through community action agencies, can cut energy use for elderly, disabled and low-income residents. Dial 2-1-1 for other local services. If a dispute with a regulated utility goes nowhere, the PSC offers an independent complaint process for service and billing problems with electric, gas, water and telecommunications providers, though it encourages you to try the utility first.

Putting a verified Mississippi bill on Settlemont

If a payment plan still leaves a gap, Settlemont offers a private way to ask for support toward one specific bill. Pick the Utility category, enter your first name, email, state, amount and due date, and submit. There is no account number on the public form. Settlemont staff independently check the biller, confirm you own the bill and verify the current balance before anything is approved. Your public page then shows only your first name, Mississippi, the category and the verified amount. When someone chooses to help, their support goes directly to the utility, and you are never charged a review, speed or boost fee. Keep talking with your utility in the meantime, because approval does not guarantee payment by your due date.

Sources

• Mississippi Public Service Commission: Customer bill of rights
• Mississippi Public Service Commission: Rules and Regulations Governing Public Utility Service
• Mississippi Department of Human Services: Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program
• Entergy Mississippi: Bill help

Facts checked November 2026. Rules change, so confirm with the agency or utility before relying on a protection.

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