Entergy's new tools and services give customers more control than ever over energy costs

BATON ROUGE, La. - As temperatures rise, electricity use typically does too. But this summer, Entergy customers have more tools and services than ever at their fingertips to control energy use, take advantage of bill-payment options and save money on electricity bills.

"Customers have told us that saving money is their top priority," said Steven Scheurich, vice president of customer service for Entergy's Louisiana utilities. "While our Louisiana customers' rates are well below regional and national averages, increased power usage to battle summertime heat still raises bills - typically making them some of the highest of the year. There's no better time than now for customers to be equipped with practical, convenient solutions to manage energy costs."

In May, Entergy introduced the "Save Money" program to provide customers with more resources and tools to help lower energy costs. At entergy.com/savemoney, customers interact with a virtual advisor to access information about energy-saving tools and bill-management programs unique to their situations.

The advisor is part of Entergy's new suite of self-service, easy-to-use tools to help customers understand their bills, learn about different payment options and discover easy energy- and money-saving ideas they can implement at home.

Features available at entergy.com/savemoney include step-by-step videos and printouts on energy-saving home projects, energy-saving calculators and account-management options - such as Level Billing - to help customers manage energy costs more effectively year-round.
Here are just a few of the many top energy-efficiency steps customers can take to save money:

• Heating and cooling can account for up to 40 to 80 percent of your energy usage. Set your thermostat to 78 or the highest comfortable temperature. Each degree cooler than 78 will increase your bill as much by as 3 percent. A programmable thermostat can set your air conditioner to 80 degrees or higher when you're away.
• Dirty air filters make your air conditioner work harder. Wash aluminum mesh filters and replace fiberglass ones monthly.
• Keep the cool air in your home circulating with ceiling, oscillating or box fans. Fans use less power than air conditioners, and circulating air makes you feel cooler and allows you to set your thermostat higher.
• Energy-efficiency isn't just for winter. In eight out of ten houses in the South, leaky ducts waste more energy than any other problem. Use mastic or foil tape to make connections between ducts, vents, heating/cooling units and other ducts airtight. Caulking and weather-stripping also are key to tightening up a drafty home, where the house's entire air volume must be reheated or re-cooled several times an hour.

"Every penny counts in today's economy, and every step customers take to be more energy-efficient builds on the value of the power that Entergy works every day to provide," said Scheurich.
"We're focused on providing safe, clean, reliable and affordable electricity to our customers, and we encourage you to take advantage of the many ways available to control energy use, costs and bills."

Entergy's Louisiana utility companies serve more than one million customers through the operating companies Entergy Louisiana, LLC and Entergy Gulf States Louisiana, L.L.C. With operations in southern, central and northeastern Louisiana, the companies are part of Entergy Corporation's electric system serving 2.8 million customers in Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi and Texas.

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Twitter: @EntergyLA