As winter approaches and temperatures begin dropping, customers will begin using their heating systems more and this could lead to an increase in electricity usage. However, staying warm and comfortable does not have to come at the cost of high electric bills. By making a few simple changes around your home, you can improve its energy efficiency and keep costs down throughout the colder months.
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, home heating and cooling costs can make up more than 52% of an average customer's electric bill. In some cases, poor insulation, air leaks and inefficient HVAC systems can lead to even greater energy costs each year. To keep your home warm without significantly raising the thermostat, try these low to no-cost tips.
Improving energy efficiency with low-to-no-cost tips
- Use solar energy: Open curtains on the south-facing windows during the day to allow sunlight to naturally heat the home and close them at night to reduce the chill from cold windows.
- Insulate drafty windows: Use a heavy-duty, clear plastic sheet on a frame or tape clear plastic film to the inside of window frames and make sure the plastic is sealed tightly to the frame to help reduce infiltration.
- Adjust the thermostat: When you are home and awake, set the thermostat as low as is comfortable, but when you are asleep or out of the house, turn the thermostat back to save on your heating and cooling bills.
- Find and seal leaks: Seal air leaks around utility cut-throughs for pipes and recessed lights in insulated ceilings, and unfinished spaces behind cupboards and closets.
- Maintain heating systems: Schedule routine service for home heating systems and replace furnace and heat pump filters once a month or as needed.
- Reduce heat loss from the fireplace: Keep the fireplace damper closed unless a fire is burning and check the seal on the fireplace flue damper and make it as snug as possible.
By following these simple steps, you can stay warm and comfortable all winter long while keeping your bills under control. We also offer free comprehensive residential energy audits and rebates to help reduce the upfront cost of installing energy-efficient equipment.
Exploring resources through Bill Toolkit
To make sure customers have quick access to energy efficiency, bill management and financial assistance resources, Entergy created an online platform called Bill Toolkit. The platform consolidates helpful resources for customers interested in exploring ways to lower their electric use and costs and learn more about different payment options the company offers. It also provides information on our energy efficiency programs and incentives and rebates associated with these programs.
Tracking energy use through myAdvisor
Entergy customers can set electric usage alerts and monitor how much energy they use each day through bill management tools like myAdvisor, which is available through their myEntergy account online. Tracking usage over time can help customers identify trends that contribute to higher usage and budget their monthly expenses. With the myAdvisor dashboard, customers have access to not only usage and cost details, but also bill history and projections, analyzer tools and more. On the Entergy mobile app this information can be found by tapping the "usage" tab.
Managing bills through payment and assistance options
Entergy offers several flexible payment options so customers can choose when, where and how they receive their bills.
- Pick-A-Date allows customers to pay their bills when it works best for them.
- Level Billing allows customers to "level out" seasonal energy use fluctuations, making their bills more consistent every month.
- PaperFREE billing allows customers to get their bills emailed as soon as they post and instant access to two years of billing history.
- AutoPay allows customers to avoid late fees, writing checks and paying for postage by having bills automatically deduct from their bank accounts.
We also offer flexible payment options such as deferred payment arrangements or payment extensions. Customers can find out if they qualify for these options through our mobile app or myEntergy online.
About Entergy Louisiana
Entergy Louisiana, LLC provides electric service to more than 1.1 million customers in 58 parishes and natural gas service to more than 94,000 customers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
About Entergy New Orleans
Entergy New Orleans LLC is an electric and gas utility that serves Louisiana's Orleans Parish. The company provides electricity to more than 209,000 customers and natural gas to more than 110,000 customers.
Both companies are subsidiaries of Entergy Corporation. Entergy produces, transmits and distributes electricity to power life for 3 million customers through our operating companies in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. We're investing for growth and improved reliability and resilience of our energy system while working to keep energy rates affordable for our customers. We're also investing in cleaner energy generation like modern natural gas, nuclear and renewable energy. A nationally recognized leader in sustainability and corporate citizenship, we deliver more than $100 million in economic benefits each year to the communities we serve through philanthropy, volunteerism and advocacy. Entergy is a Fortune 500 company headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana, and has approximately 12,000 employees.
