News Release > Trim your bills with essential summer energy efficiency tips and tools

Trim your bills with essential summer energy efficiency tips and tools

06/18/2024

NEW ORLEANS – Signs of summer are already here, and temperatures are starting to climb. After experiencing record breaking heat indexes in 2023, Entergy Louisiana and Entergy New Orleans are providing tips on how to prepare your home for the high heat and manage your bill this summer with our newly launched Bill Toolkit site.

Heating and cooling costs make up more than 55% of an average customer’s electric bill. This means that it is important to take steps to conserve energy to lower your electric bills when temperatures start to rise.

Entergy’s Bill Toolkit site helps customers find ways to manage energy usage and save money through energy efficiency programs, including the Entergy Solutions  for Entergy Louisiana customers and the Energy Smart program for Entergy New Orleans customers. Examples of products and services, available at little to no cost, include AC tune-ups, LED bulbs, smart thermostats, duct sealing and insulation.

Additionally, both programs offer home assessments that yield energy efficiency recommendations. A Home Performance with ENERGY STAR assessment reduces the up-front cost of installing energy efficiency upgrades.

Low to no-cost energy efficiency tips

Customers also can save money with these quick and easy energy efficiency tips:

• Change air filters. Air filters on some air conditioning units require monthly cleaning or replacing.
• Set your thermostat to the highest comfortable temperature. The smaller the difference between the inside and outside temperatures, the lower your energy usage and bill will be.
• Buy a programmable thermostat. A programmable thermostat can help manage costs, is controllable, and can help monitor usage.  
• Use fans to cool off. Ceiling fans, box fans and oscillating fans use very little electricity to circulate the air. Make sure ceiling fans are rotating in the right direction – counter-clockwise during summer – to push cooler air down into the room. Be sure to turn all fans off in unused rooms.
• 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.
• Use the myAdvisor tool on myentergy.com. The usage and cost tool can compare usage history by month, day and hour.

For customers needing help with their bill, Entergy’s Bill Toolkit provides an overview of payment options, such as level billing and pick-a-date, and customer assistance programs. Entergy partners with third party agencies that provide utility bill assistance for seniors, disabled individuals and programs that are income-based. Through Entergy's The Power to Care program, local nonprofit agencies provide emergency bill payment assistance to seniors and disabled individuals. You also may be eligible to receive federal payment assistance through the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program or LIHEAP.

For more information, visit BillToolkit.entergy.com for the tools and resources you need to understand your bill, reduce your usage or look for assistance programs and services available to you.

About Entergy Louisiana

Entergy Louisiana, LLC provides electric service to more than 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, a Fortune 500 company that powers life for 3 million customers through operating companies in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. We’re investing in the reliability and resilience of the energy system while helping our region transition to cleaner, more efficient energy solutions. With roots in our communities for more than 100 years, Entergy is a nationally recognized leader in sustainability and corporate citizenship. Since 2018, we have delivered more than $100 million in economic benefits each year to local communities through philanthropy, volunteerism and advocacy. Entergy is headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana, and has approximately 12,000 employees.