Keep Cool and Save Money this Summer with these Entergy Tips

We’re just days away from the first day of summer and Louisianan’s are enjoying the many advantages of America’s favorite season. Children are out of school, days are longer, fresh garden vegetables are blossoming, and beach trips are in full swing. Although the warmth of summer days creates the perfect opportunity to enjoy outdoor activities, blazing temperatures can have a negative impact on your electric bill.

According to Entergy Louisiana, heating and cooling makes up about 55% of an average customer’s electricity bill. The company released a statement informing its Louisiana customers of a $25 increase to their electricity bill in June, attributing the increase to the rising cost of natural gas princess and restoration costs following the 2020 and 2021 hurricane season.

“First, the cost of natural gas, which we use to operate numerous power generation facilities, continues to rise. Natural gas prices in April of 2022 were more than double those in April of 2021 and three times higher than April 2020. As a result, these higher-than-normal costs will be seen on customer bills as increases to the Fuel Adjustment throughout the summer months and until there is some relief on this commodity pricing. Higher natural gas pricing is a factor that our customers should account for in their budgeting through the summer. For a customer consuming 1,000 kWh this would translate to roughly a $25 increase in June. Entergy Louisiana is deferring recovery of approximately $10 of that increase from June bills for future recovery leaving approximately $15 increase on June bills. We will continue to work with the Louisiana Public Service Commission to spread out natural gas costs over several months, rather than placing them all on one bill.” the statement read.

In an effort to help customers save energy and keep cool as the summer heats up, Entergy is providing customers with a few tips to keep their electricity bill low. Customers can manage their energy use by following the following steps :

•  Manage energy usage and save money by installing energy efficient upgrades through the Entergy Solutions program for Entergy Louisiana customers and the Energy Smart program for Entergy New Orleans customers. (Examples of products and services available at little to no cost include LED bulbs, smart thermostats, AC tune-ups, duct sealing and insulation.)

In addition, both programs offer home assessments that yield energy efficiency recommendations. A Home Performance with ENERGY STAR assessment reduces the up-front cost of installing energy efficiency upgrades. Depending on the recommendations chosen, customers could save up to 20%or more on their annual utility bill.

Customers also can save money with these easy do-it-yourself energy efficiency tips:

• Change air filters. Air filters on some air conditioning units require monthly cleaning or replacing.
• Setting the thermostat to 78 degrees or the highest comfortable temperature. Every degree lower than 78 can raise a bill as much as 3%.
• Buy a programmable thermostat. A programmable thermostat can help manage costs, is controllable, and can help monitor usage.
• Use fans to cool off. Ceiling fans, box fans and oscillating fans use very little electricity to circulate the air. Make sure ceiling fans are rotating in the right direction – counter-clockwise during summer – to push cooler air down into the room. Be sure to turn all fans off in unused rooms.
• Close blinds, shades and curtains to keep the sun out and the cool air in. Also, close air conditioning vents in rooms that are not in use.
• Seal cracks and holes around doors, windows and ductwork. Weather stripping and caulk will help keep the cold air in and the hot air out.
• Use the myAdvisor tool on myentergy.com. The usage and cost tool can compare usage history by month, day and hour.

For customers struggling to pay their bill, Entergy offers a number of payment options, such as level billing, auto-pay, and more, as well as tools and programs designed to help customers manage energy usage, please visit myentergy.com/s/programs or call 1-800-ENTERGY (1-800-368-3749) to speak with a customer service representative.