Tagged News

• Entergy to resume disconnections due to unpaid bills after pausing for extreme weather

  September 8, 2023 1:01 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Amid record-breaking heat, Entergy suspended disconnects of air conditioning for customer safety. Starting Monday, disconnects will resume. Entergy released the following statement regarding their resuming disconnections: On Aug. 18, Entergy Louisiana suspended disconnects for nonpayment due to prolonged and unprecedented extreme temperatures in our region... more »

• DEMCO helps Florida get the lights back on after hurricane Play Video

  October 3, 2022 4:34 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Louisiana co-op crews are assisting other co-ops in Florida. Fifteen DEMCO team members left late last week making their way to areas that took a direct hit from Hurricane Ian. The goal is to get the lights turned back on as soon as possible. "We... more »

• Woman pays wrong electric bill for whole year; DEMCO confirms mix-up Play Video

  February 25, 2022 3:43 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Crystal Taylor learned last week that she's been paying someone else's bill for the last year. The mix-up has her concerned, and she contacted 2 On Your Side for help. "I'm getting billed for someone else's usage," said Taylor. It all came to light last... more »

• Outrageous subdivision light bill adjusted following call to 2 On Your Side Play Video

  January 13, 2022 2:32 PM

  BATON ROUGE - An HOA president got a shocking bill in the mail a couple of months ago, and it took a call to 2 On Your Side to get it fixed. Tracey Kelleher has been the HOA president of the Woodland Ridge subdivision for the past six years.... more »

• Baton Rouge bracing for more rain Thursday after withstanding effects of Ida, Nicholas Play Video

  September 16, 2021 6:48 AM

  BATON ROUGE - Early Thursday morning, energy providers in south Louisiana are reporting over 53,000 power outages. Lafourche stands out as the Parish with the leading number of outages, where over 22,000 remain in the dark. Most of East Baton Rouge (EBR) Parish has power, with the exception... more »

• Entergy, DEMCO working through Nicholas to restore power outages from Ida Play Video

  September 14, 2021 6:24 PM

  DENHAM SPRINGS - It's day 16 for thousands of people still without power following Hurricane Ida. With Tropical Storm Nicholas in the mix, there's concern over what that means for people still waiting in the dark. The numbers on the outage maps continue to improve as crews work to... more »

• While dealing with over 92K outages from Ida, Louisiana braces for impact from Nicholas Play Video

  September 14, 2021 6:22 AM

  BATON ROUGE - The effects of Hurricane Ida linger in Louisiana, where 92,577 remain without power, and now the Gulf Coast state braces for impact from yet another storm system. JUST IN: The latest tropical advisory. Updates and your detailed local forecast at: https://t.co/Ck61O53rYN | #LaWX #MsWX pic.twitter.com/kv8fmJYdCp... more »

• People hope yard signs will alert power crews to outages Play Video

  September 13, 2021 6:36 PM

  PINE GROVE - Some people are so tired of being in the dark after Hurricane Ida, they've put up signs alerting linemen or power companies about their prolonged outages. Lori Jones lives off of Highway 16 in Pine Grove. She says everyone around her got power back on Friday... more »

• 12 days after Hurricane Ida, roughly 180k await power restoration in Louisiana

  September 10, 2021 7:48 AM

  BATON ROUGE - On Friday morning, Entergy's outage map reveals that just over 168,000 of the company's utility customers are without power following Ida. The majority of outages are in LaFourche Parish and St. Charles Parish. Entergy took to its Facebook page Thursday to provide additional expected power... more »

• 'Basically left to die': Neighbors say woman died after spending more than a week without power Play Video

  September 9, 2021 6:22 PM

  DENHAM SPRINGS - Some people are at their wits' end living through day 11 without electricity in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida. Linemen continue to work to connect nearly 30,000 people in our area. This week, 2 On Your Side has been getting emails from people about their... more »

• Following Ida's impact on Louisiana, just over 230k still awaiting power restoration

  September 9, 2021 6:15 AM

  BATON ROUGE - On Thursday morning, Louisiana utility company Demco says 82 percent of its customers have power. Eleven days after Hurricane Ida made landfall in Louisiana, both Demco and Entergy are issuing reports that indicate they're making headway in restoring power to the region. Entergy, which serves... more »

• Power restoration efforts continue after Ida; just over 300k outages in Louisiana

  September 8, 2021 5:05 AM

  BATON ROUGE - As of Wednesday morning, 325,315 are without power in Louisiana due to the devastating impacts of Hurricane Ida. Local power company, Demco reports that 25,508 of their clients are in the dark and Entergy's outage total clocks in at 299,807. Demco provides restoration updates on Ascension,... more »

• Energy crews work through Labor Day to restore power; now just under 400k await lights Play Video

  September 7, 2021 6:12 AM

  BATON ROUGE - The morning after Labor Day, just over 399,000 energy customers in Louisiana are waking up to either darkness and dangerous heat or lights and AC that are fueled by a generator. It's been nine days since Hurricane Ida's assault on the Gulf Coast state. The hurricane... more »

• Fifty percent of New Orleans still without internet

  September 6, 2021 4:21 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - Cox communications has restored 90 percent of service in the Greater Baton Rouge area, but 50 percent of Greater New Orleans customers are still without internet. Cox said Monday afternoon they assessed nearly 65 miles of damages to their network infrastructure in the New Orleans area,... more »

• Eight days after Ida, about 480,000 still without power across Louisiana Play Video

  September 6, 2021 6:09 AM

  BATON ROUGE - Eight days after Hurricane Ida pummeled south Louisiana, roughly 480,000 remain without power across the state. Just over a week after the storm, Demco and Entergy's outage maps reveal that roughly 3,277 of those who find themselves in the dark are in Baton Rouge. Meanwhile, 30,414... more »

• Nearly 750k still without power in Louisiana; what energy companies are doing about it Play Video

  September 1, 2021 4:55 AM

  BATON ROUGE - Four days after Hurricane Ida carved a path of destruction through south Louisiana, just under 747,000 Entergy customers remain in the dark. Early Thursday morning, nearly 80,000 of those impacted by outages were in East Baton Rouge alone. Meanwhile, roughly 30,000 were without power in Ascension... more »

• Demco: Nearly 100,000 without power; crews now working to restore power Play Video

  August 30, 2021 9:51 AM

  BATON ROUGE - Recovery efforts are unfolding in the capital region Monday morning. The efforts begin with power crews working to get electricity back on to the thousands who are in the dark as a result of Ida's devastating winds. WBRZ spoke with a Demco representative who provided... more »

• Summer sizzle felt in the form of utility bills, DEMCO explains Play Video

  July 23, 2021 5:51 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Some people are fired up after their utility bills doubled compared to last month. DEMCO customers sounded off on Facebook about what's happening and called 2 On Your Side for help. This month, DEMCO customers received bills in the mail with a different look and different... more »

• Large DEMCO bill received at uninhabited house, property owner shocked Play Video

  April 6, 2021 6:15 PM

  BAKER - A man has sticker shock after receiving a large electric bill in the mail. The homeowner is puzzled since he hasn't lived in the house since the 2016 flood. It's a mystery that Albert Rutherford can't seem to solve. "I don't have a hot water heater,... more »

• Winter storm Uri could affect your utility bill Play Video

  March 10, 2021 3:23 PM

  BATON ROUGE - The effects of winter storm Uri aren't over yet. Utility customers should be expecting higher than normal bills from February. The week of the record freeze, homes were working overtime to circulate heat. "Don't be surprised at larger kilowatt-hour usage," said David Latona with DEMCO. ... more »

• DEMCO continuing to restore power Thursday morning, says 430 outages remain in EBR

  February 18, 2021 12:12 PM

  BATON ROUGE - On Thursday (Feb. 18) morning, DEMCO announced that it had restored power to over 11,000 meters and that 3,423 remain without electricity. The company reports that restoration efforts from Wednesday morning until Thursday at 10 a.m. are as follows: Ascension - 2 outages, down from... more »

• People seek hotels, firewood amid Monday night outages Play Video

  February 15, 2021 10:05 PM

  BATON ROUGE – Thousands of people are going to bed without power Monday night as temperatures dip lower and lower. To cope, many spent the day looking for firewood. Luckily, Joey Dupont was able to provide. “ The people we’re trying to help is the people without power. We’ll... more »

• Entergy abruptly cuts power to South Louisiana Tuesday night

  February 15, 2021 11:36 AM

  BATON ROUGE - Entergy pulled the plug on electricity to customers across its four-state service area late Tuesday in what the company said was a "forced" decision because of demand. Thousands of customers experienced a sudden power failure around 7 p.m. The power company said it had ended rolling... more »

• DEMCO to start installing new smart meters later this month Play Video

  February 4, 2021 6:23 PM

  CENTRAL - More smart meters are on their way to homes in the greater Baton Rouge area. Entergy customers have been complaining about higher bills and wonder if the meters have something to do with it. This week, DEMCO says it'll be installing them later this month to some... more »

• Crews work to restore power to over 8,000 as storms sweep across Louisiana

  July 3, 2020 2:33 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Stormy weather brought wind and rain to Louisiana on Friday (July 3) afternoon, and as of 2 p.m. over 8,000 in the state are without power. More than 3,000 of those outages are in Livingston Parish and just over 600 are without power in East Baton... more »

• EBR: Hundreds still without power following overnight storm Play Video

  April 10, 2020 6:15 AM

  As of Friday morning, an overnight storm has left over 900 East Baton Rouge customers without power. WBRZ first reported on the outages Thursday night , when over 4K EBR residents were left in the dark and surrounding parishes, such as Iberville were responding to incidents of multiple incidents... more »

• Frustrated DEMCO customer pays entire utility bill in nickels Play Video

  September 27, 2018 7:19 PM

  DENHAM SPRINGS- A man so frustrated with the state's largest electric cooperative paid his $200 dollar utility bill in nickels Thursday. Matthew Leeth claims DEMCO threatened to turn off his power recently after he didn't pay his bill. Leeth said he provided DEMCO with a receipt from a third party... more »

• PSC places scrutiny on electric cooperatives across the state Play Video

  September 19, 2018 6:38 PM

  BATON ROUGE - The state public service commission is in the process of conducting a deep dive into electric cooperatives across the state after allegations of high salaries, perks, and other corruption surfaced. At the PSC meeting, Commissioner Craig Greene called it a "co-op clean-up" after allegations of corruption surfaced... more »

• Utility company to discuss Nakamoto reports with state regulators; Vows changes

  September 14, 2018 6:13 PM

  BATON ROUGE – The Public Service Commission will discuss an audit of an area electric co-op following a series of reports by the WBRZ Investigative Unit. DEMCO provided the hired auditors with more than 70,000 company documents. Auditors also interviewed company executives, employees and vendors. The audit will be... more »

• More allegations of corruption surface at DEMCO Play Video

  August 20, 2018 6:48 PM

  CENTRAL- Following a tumultuous summer that led to the abrupt resignation of longtime employee and CEO John Vranic at DEMCO, there are more allegations of corruption at the state's largest electric cooperative. DEMCO's longtime Board President Richard Sitman spent 20 years in that role. Last week, he resigned as Board... more »

• DEMCO pledges changes after allegations of corruption surface Play Video

  June 20, 2018 6:42 PM

  BATON ROUGE- Before a packed room at the Public Service Commission, commissioners demanded accountability in hopes of restoring some public trust back into the state's largest energy cooperative. An internal audit was launched earlier this year after allegations of wrongdoing surfaced. Last week, the WBRZ Investigative Unit uncovered the... more »

• DEMCO executive resigns after Nakamoto report Play Video

  June 11, 2018 6:28 PM

  UPDATE: John Vranic, DEMCO's outgoing CEO, will resign effective today amid a report by the WBRZ Investigative Unit. Click here to read the full statement released by DEMCO Tuesday afternoon . CENTRAL – The outgoing head of DEMCO, an area power provider and the state's largest electric cooperative,... more »

• A man's fight to save his cypress trees Play Video

  May 18, 2018 6:43 PM

  PRAIRIEVILLE - A man says his power company called him up recently, telling him it planned to cut a bunch of his trees down. Vic Noto says he's not happy about that news. And after living with those trees for decades, he thinks there can be some sort of... more »

• Power outages caused by downed trees during storm might remain all day Sunday Play Video

  April 15, 2018 9:29 AM

  UPDATE: As of 5:00 p.m. Sunday, Entergy says power has been restored to the Jefferson Terrace area. BATON ROUGE – More than a thousand customers were without power Sunday morning, 24 hours after severe storms blew through the region, knocking down utility poles and the electrical grid. The... more »

• Monticello resident in search of more street lighting Play Video

  October 4, 2017 4:44 PM

  BATON ROUGE - The process to get a street light has proved to be difficult for one resident living in Monticello. Cynthia Mills is hoping the City-Parish will install a street light on her dark street but has grown frustrated at the process. "I've called Entergy, Entergy says call... more »

• Telephone pole busted for months, utility companies waiting on others Play Video

  July 20, 2017 6:07 PM

  DENHAM SPRINGS - The aftermath of a car accident that happened three months ago, is a constant reminder for one family. They've been trying to get the telephone pole outside their home fixed since then, but to no avail. Three different utilities companies, DEMCO, COX Communications and AT&T must... more »

• Thieves stoop to new low by stealing electrical meters Play Video

  June 12, 2017 5:27 PM

  BATON ROUGE- It's a problem that you may not have heard about, but power companies like Entergy and Demco are having to fight thieves stealing meters from customers. It's a way for them to get free electricity if they hook up your meter to a house that has the electricity... more »

• DEMCO: Felicianas will have power restored Wednesday night Play Video

  January 4, 2017 8:33 PM

  ST. FRANCISVILLE- Work crews lined both sides of State Highway 66 near Bayou Sara Wednesday evening repairing broken power lines strung through dense forests. It's the third day of repairs from Monday's windstorm that at one point left tens of thousands in the dark. "The lines that we serve... more »

• Electric company building on property, man wants it to stop Play Video

  December 28, 2016 6:46 PM

  DENHAM SPRINGS - A property owner in Livingston Parish says DEMCO is tearing up his land, but DEMCO says it has the right to be there. In addition to making a mess, David Henderson says DEMCO is also taking land away from him. Henderson contacted 2 On Your Side,... more »

• More electric bill concerns, overestimating Play Video

  October 13, 2016 6:32 PM

  BATON ROUGE - A Two On Your Side story earlier this week got many viewers talking. WBRZ highlighted an issue about people reporting their seemingly "high" electric bills. Tuesday, we found one man was overcharged by DEMCO . Thursday, another situation about a man being over-charged after Entergy estimated... more »

• Error increased man's power bill; DEMCO inspecting meters Play Video

  October 11, 2016 6:48 PM

  ZACHARY - While many have noticed higher utility bills in September and October since usage was estimated when meter readers could not access properties during the flood in August, one man in Zachary said an error caused his to increase by 30%. Ty Meloncon told 2 On Your Side... more »

• Thousands still without power Wednesday

  August 17, 2016 5:23 PM

  BATON ROUGE – Thousands are still without power Wednesday after storms and historic flooding downed powerlines and damaged substations. As of 7 p.m. Wednesday, nearly 11,000 Entergy customers and 5,300 DEMCO meters are without power. The vast majority of customers without power are in East Baton Rouge, Livingston and... more »

• Nearly 4,000 homes in the dark after storms

  October 25, 2015 7:52 PM

  BATON ROUGE - As of Monday morning nearly 4,000 homes people were in the dark around southern Louisiana due to bad storms. Entergy said more than 1,800 homes lost power in East Baton Rouge Parish as of Monday morning, with most of those outages along Perkins Road between Bluebonnet... more »