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Insights > High heat leads to record breaking usage across Louisiana
High heat leads to record breaking usage across Louisiana
08/01/2022
Louisiana residents have used a lot of power over the past couple of months, and that increased usage coupled with high natural gas prices used to produce electricity has impacted utility bills.
Throughout the summer season, we’ve continued to see near-record-breaking temperatures for June and July across the state. Not only has it been really hot for two months, but the temperatures have stayed high with little reprieve from the heat.
In Monroe, Louisiana, there were six days in the month of June where the temperature reached 100 degrees or more, with five of those days happening consecutively from June 22 through June 26.
Similarly in Baton Rouge and New Orleans, temperatures stayed above 90 degrees for 27 days in the month of June, staying at 99 degrees from June 23 through June 25.
With near-recording-breaking temperatures across the state, Entergy Louisiana customers set a new level of peak electricity usage of more than 9,900 megawatts on June 24, exceeding the previous record of 9,840 in July of 2015. And for the same day, Entergy New Orleans customers had a peak of more than 1,160 megawatts, surpassing the 2021 peak of 1,006 megawatts.
And we didn’t get a break in July. New Orleans and Lake Charles saw 25 and 26 days, respectfully, with 90 and above temperatures, while Monroe saw 4 days of temperatures 100 and above.
Consecutive high temperatures lead to customers using more electricity, higher bills
The greater the difference between inside and outside temperatures, and the more consecutive days of higher temperatures, the more energy customers use, which results in higher bills. Since heating and cooling costs make up about 55% of an average customer’s electric bill, taking steps to save energy can help you better manage usage when temperatures are hot.
There are simple steps customers can take to make sure their home is using energy efficiently:
- Customers can receive cash incentives for installing energy efficient upgrades through the Entergy Solutions program for Entergy Louisiana customers and the Energy Smart program for Entergy New Orleans customers. Some examples of eligible energy efficiency upgrades available at little to no cost include LED bulbs, smart thermostats, AC tune-ups, duct sealing, and insulation.
- During hotter months, 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.
- Entergy Louisiana customers can purchase discounted thermostats and other energy saving devices through our Entergy Solutions online marketplace. Entergy New Orleans customers can purchase similar items through the Energy Smart online marketplace.
- 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.
- 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 ductwork. Weather stripping and caulk will help keep the cold air in and the hot air out.
- For more tips to help keep your energy usage low when the temperature goes up – or down, visit entergy.com/conserve.
More information on increased natural gas prices will be available on the Entergy newsroom in the coming days.
Quick links to more resources
- More about our company’s energy efficiency programs.
- Monitor your energy usage on myAdvisor.
- Ways to manage costs, receive utility bill assistance.
Get bill payment assistance through The Power to Care program
