Manage your electricity usage by implementing these energy efficiency practices
Little Rock, Ark. – Winter has arrived here in the Natural State, kicking heaters and energy consumption into high gear. Entergy Arkansas wants customers to stay warm while managing their energy usage and costs, offering these helpful hints to make your home more energy efficient.
Heating costs can account for more than 50 percent of a customer’s monthly energy usage. Instead of cranking up the thermostat when the temperatures drop, take these free or low-cost steps to remain comfortable and save energy and money on your utility bills.
Prepare for winter weather
Keep heating costs low all season long by taking these tips to improve your home’s energy efficiency:
- Seal air leaks: Use caulk or weatherstripping around doors, windows and any location where there may be a path between the inside and outside.
- Adjust the thermostat: Set the thermostat to 68 degrees during winter months, and dress in layers to stay warm. Each degree above 68 can increase your energy bill by about 3 percent.
- Conserve hot water: Set your hot water heater’s thermostat to 120 degrees, or the medium setting. Wrap electric water heaters with water heater blankets, which can be found at home improvement stores.
- Keep doors and windows closed: Constant traffic will let out warm air, forcing your heater to work harder to keep the room at a set temperature.
- Ensure fans are turning the right way: Fans should be run at a low speed clockwise during the winter to prevent the cold air from blowing down on you.
- Replace air filters: Dirty filters make your heating system work harder. Replace them according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
- Use sunlight to your advantage: During the day, open your curtains and blinds to let in the warm sunlight. Close them at night to reduce heat loss.
We also offer free comprehensive residential energy audits and rebates to help reduce the upfront cost of installing energy-efficient equipment. Visit entergy.com/energyefficiency for more information.
Bill management resources
We offer several billing and payment options to fit your needs. Choose when, where and how you pay your utility bill with our bill management resources, which include:
- AutoPay: Avoid late fees, writing checks and paying for postage by having your bills automatically deducted from your bank account. Learn more at myentergy.com/s/autopay.
- Level billing: We average bills over a rolling 12-month period, so you have a more consistent bill each month of the year. Enroll at myentergy.com/s/levelbill.
- PaperFREE: Get your bill delivered directly to your email as soon as it posts. Learn more at myentergy.com/s/paperfree.
- Pick-A-Date: Choose what day of the month you get billed to line up with your budget and cash flow. Learn more at myentergy.com/s/pickdate.
- Understanding my bill: We redesigned the Entergy bill to help make it easier to understand. Learn more at entergy.com/bill.
Resources for customers in need
With rising energy prices and higher living costs, we understand how difficult it is right now for our customers and communities. We offer a variety of programs and resources to help serve our customers in need, such as:
- Payment extension: Qualifying customers who need a few extra days to pay their bill can request an extension through myEntergy or by calling 1-800-ENTERGY (1-800-368-3749) and following our automated response system menu.
- The Power to Care: Through a network of nonprofit agencies, The Power to Care helps pay utility bills of those facing extreme temperatures with no way to stay warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Learn more at myentergy.com/s/powertocare.
- Deferred payment: Talk with us about your situation and we may be able to make deferred payment arrangements. Request a deferred payment arrangement through myEntergy or by calling 1-800-ENTERGY (1-800-368-3749) and following our automated response system menu.
Customers who are behind on bill payments should contact Entergy through myEntergy or by phone at 1-800 ENTERGY (1-800-368-3749) to make payment arrangements and prevent disconnection. The Entergy app is also available for Android and iPhone operating systems at entergy.com/app and can be used for your convenience to pay bills, monitor your usage and more.
