If you’ve stepped outside this week, you know that the warm weather has arrived. With temperatures rising, Entergy is giving you the following tips to help avoid a rising electric bill this summer.
Seven simple steps can help you save energy and money without sacrificing comfort:
- Get your A/C inspected to make sure your system is leak-free and operating as efficiently as possible. Don’t forget about air filters; some units require monthly cleaning or replacing. Entergy Mississippi customers can get incentives of up to $125 with a tune-up through the Entergy Solutions program .
- Set your thermostat at 78 degrees or the highest comfortable temperature. Every degree lower than 78 can raise your bill as much as 3%. If you crank down the A/C to a cooler 72 degrees, you’ve already increased your bill by 18%.
- Buy a programmable thermostat. As energy use rises, costs also rise. (Get up to a $100 incentive on select advanced smart thermostats. )
- Use fans to cool off, but remember – fans cool people, not rooms. Ceiling fans, box fans and oscillating fans use very little electricity to circulate the air, which helps you feel several degrees cooler. To save more energy, be sure to turn them off when you leave the room.
- 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 duct work. Weather stripping and caulk will help keep the cold air in and the hot air out.
- Visit entergy.com/savemoney to access a variety of energy-saving tips and calculators that will help you determine the best cost-cutting scenarios to suit your needs.
For customers struggling to pay their summer energy bills, Entergy helps low-income, disabled and elderly customers through its customer-assistance fund, The Power to Care, which is funded by Entergy employees, customers and shareholders, and administered by The Salvation Army.
In addition to The Power to Care, bill-payment assistance also is available through the federal Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program. For more information, visit Help for Paying Your Electric Bills.
