More than 96,000 Baton Rouge residents will soon receive natural gas from a new company as Entergy transfers its natural gas distribution operations to energy company Delta Utilities.
The switch, set for July, will mark the closing of a $484 million deal between Entergy and Delta Utilities, which is headquartered in New Orleans and backed by the private equity firm Bernhard Capital Partners.
No immediate action is required by customers, according to a letter sent to residents and dated June 17. However, when their accounts are officially transferred to Delta Utilities, natural gas users will need to reenroll in several programs, including paperless billing, automatic payments, level billing and pick-a-date billing.
Customers must also create a new online account with Delta Utilities, as their previous Entergy account will not carry over, according to the letter. More information will be sent to customers at the time of sale.
“Entergy and Delta Utilities are working together to make this transition as seamless as possible,” the letter said.
A handful of programs will automatically transfer when the switch occurs and require no action from energy users: deposits, landlord automatic turn on, advanced metering opt out, medical emergency certification and collective billing.
Entergy announced the sale of its natural gas operations to Delta Utilities in October 2023. The deal aligns with Entergy’s “strategic focus on electric utility services,” according to an FAQ page on the company’s website.
Entergy will still be able to respond to natural gas emergencies through the transfer, the website said. Until the time of sale, customers can call 1-800-968-8243 for natural gas emergencies.