Having trouble paying your electric or gas bill? Has your electricity been disconnected? Thereâs a federally funded program -- the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program -- that helps Louisiana residents pay utility bills. The average payment is about $515 for qualified applicants, according to Lauren Hartley Holmes, the deputy administrator for energy assistance programs at Louisiana Housing Corp. The amount will increase in 2021. For a crisis situation, such as a disconnection or a threat of disconnection, the program will pay up to $600 to keep your power on. And if someone in your household is elderly, disabled or younger than 5, thereâs an extra $100 available to help with utility bills.