JACKSON, Mississippi-The first real blast of wintry weather this season is predicted to hit Mississippi on Friday and keep temperatures below freezing through the weekend.But officials with Entergy Mississippi have said that while the temps are going down, there are ways to prevent the electricity bill up.
“We’ve had a couple of cooler periods since winter officially began, but cold weather really hasn’t impacted Mississippi yet this year,” said Robbin Jeter, Entergy Mississippi vice president of customer service. “Now is a good time to remind everyone that saving energy saves money in the winter, just as it does during the summer.”
Entergy released 10 tips for keeping the power bill down:
* Set the thermostat at 68 degrees in winter. Heating can account for as much as 55 percent of your monthly electric bill, and every degree above 68 on the thermostat can increase your bill by about 3 percent. Too cold? Do as Mom says and put a sweater on!
* Seal leaks around doors and windows to keep cold air out and warm air in.
* Open window coverings to let warm sunlight in during the day. Close them at night to reduce heat loss.
* Schedule a heating system checkup with a licensed professional to ensure yours is running efficiently.
* Do not block heat registers or air returns.
* Check air and furnace filters every 30 days or as required by the type of filter. Clean or replace them as needed.
* Conserve hot water. Wrap your water heater with a water heater blanket and set the thermostat to 120 degrees or medium.
* Close the damper on fireplaces when not in use.
* Change your light bulbs to energy-efficient models. Entergy recommends ENERGY STAR-qualified compact fluorescent light bulbs that use 70 percent less energy and last up to 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs.
* Set the thermostat on 55 degrees if away from home for several days.
More tips, as well as clear, do-it-yourself videos, can be found at entergy.com/savemoney<http://
