Customers have the power to guard their homes and their wallets against winter

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Winter blew into the state with its typical chilly introduction, leaving many electric utility customers challenged with both staying warm and managing the costs that go with it.

 Entergy wants to remind customers they have the power to save money and stay comfortable by following a few simple steps to help keep winter’s cold outside where it belongs while also helping keep energy costs more manageable.

“Heating a home can account for as much as half of the monthly energy bill,” said Oscar Washington, customer service manager for Entergy Arkansas, Inc. “Cold air can be an expensive, unwanted visitor, finding its way through many openings that often go unnoticed, such as wall seams, attic doors, and electrical outlets. Small spaces can add up to big energy losses.”

Although there are lots of things homeowners can do to protect themselves against cold weather, here are the top five energy savers:

· Adjust the thermostat. During winter months, set the thermostat to 68 degrees. Every degree higher can add three percent to your energy bill.

· Conserve hot water. Wrap your electric water heater with a water heater blanket and set the thermostat to 120 degrees or medium. Insulate pipes running to and from the heater and check for leaky faucets.

· Replace air and furnace filters every 30 days. Air conditioning and heating remain the top energy cost for a home, so keeping them in good condition makes sense.

· Use energy-efficient bulbs when replacing light bulbs. Entergy recommends ENERGY STAR(r)-qualified compact fluorescent light bulbs, which use 70 percent less energy and last up to 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs.

· Properly air seal and insulate your attic and any location where there may be a path from the inside of your home to the outside. That includes places you may not think of – such as attic hatchways, electrical outlets and switches.

Customers can find answers to a variety of energy-related topics including what influences energy costs in their home at www.entergyarkansas.com/savemoney . Entergy also encourages customers to consider one of the many billing options the company already has in place that can simplify managing and paying monthly energy bills. Level Billing protects against spikes in electricity bills even when usage is higher than normal. Pick-A-Date allows customers to choose a due date that is most convenient for them.

Entergy Arkansas, Inc. provides electricity to more than 698,000 customers in 63 counties. It is a subsidiary of Entergy Corporation. Entergy Corporation is an integrated energy company engaged primarily in electric power production and retail distribution operations. Entergy owns and operates power plants with approximately 30,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity, and it is the second-largest nuclear generator in the United States. Entergy delivers electricity to 2.7 million utility customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas.