Entergy Arkansas’s New Web site Offers Answers to High Bills
Site answers commonly asked questions and offers tips to lower monthly bills
As summer heat rapidly approaches and with the U.S. economy still facing difficult times, Entergy Arkansas, Inc. has unveiled a new website designed to answer commonly asked questions about electricity and to offer helpful tips to lower monthly energy bills during the hot, summer months.
EntergyAnswers.com provides answers to questions about a variety of topics, including how electricity is made, what goes into energy costs and what Entergy Arkansas[Op Co] is doing to ensure affordable energy in the future.
The new Web site also offers a series of easy to use tips that can help customers lower their monthly energy bills.
“With summer officially hereEven though the height of summer is still a few weeks away, EntergyAnswers.com is a great place to start learning about how to lower how much energy you use during the summer months,” said [NAME]Mike Ragland, customer service manager for Entergy Arkansas. “In addition to offering helpful tips, the new website is a great resource for learning about the electricity you use every day.
Through its new Entergy Answers Web site, Entergy Arkansas is offering five tips that can help customers save money on their utility bill:
Tip 1 – Adjust your thermostat
Air conditioning and heating can account for as much as 55 percent of your monthly electric bill. Setting the thermostat to 78 degrees during the summer is an easy way for to reduce how much energy you use. Every degree below 78 on the thermostat can increase your bill by about three percent. Entergy also recommends setting the thermostat to 80 degrees if you plan to be away from home for several days.
Tip 2 – Conserve hot water
Heating the water you use each day, whether for showers or washing dishes or clothes, can account for 20 percent of your monthly bill. Wrap your electric water heater with a water heater jacket (available at any home improvement store) and set the temperature on the unit to 120 degrees or medium. Washing clothes in cold water when possible and running the dishwasher only when full can also help to save energy.
Tip 3 – Replace air filters every 30 days
The harder your air conditioner has to work to cool your house, the more energy it uses. Keeping air filters clean can make your unit more efficient, which means it uses less energy. Fiberglass air filters should be replaced monthly and aluminum mesh filters should be washed monthly. Use ceiling fans or floor fans to help circulate air – circulating air helps you to feel cooler and lets you set your thermostat at a higher temperature.
Tip 4 – Use energy-efficient light bulbs
ENERGY STAR qualified compact fluorescent light bulbs use 70 percent less energy and last up to 10 times longer than regular light bulbs. If you need more light, use one larger bulb rather than several smaller ones. A 100-watt bulb produces 50 percent more light than four 25-watt bulbs for the same amount of energy.
Tip 5 – Seal air leaks around windows and doors
Caulking and weather-stripping are easy ways to stop hot air from outside from entering your home. Put weather-stripping around doors, windows and wall seams. You can also seal places where electrical, plumbing or heating systems enter your house and add insulating gaskets on all electrical outlets and switches.
“Saving money on your energy bill is easier than you think,” [NAME] said. By following all or some of these five energy saving tips, you’ll see that conserving energy is not only good for the environment, it’s good for your wallet. And with this economy, every little bit helps.
“Electricity is a good value when compared to other household expenses,” [NAME]Ragland added. “The typical Entergy Arkansas customer already spends less than $5.00 per day on electricity and making small adjustments can really add up to even bigger savings.”
Another online option is My Account Online, which allows customers to view and pay their bill, view their billing and payment history and update account information – all with a few clicks of a mouse.
Customers can also register for other Entergy Arkansas services to help manage their accounts. Level Billing can help to lower summer bills by averaging 12 months’ worth of bills so that there are no summer spikes. Pick-A-Date allows customers to choose the date on which their bill is due while Automatic Monthly Payments saves customers the trouble of writing and mailing a check.
Entergy Arkansas provides electricity to 684,000 customers in 63 counties. Entergy Corporation is an integrated energy company engaged primarily in electric power production and retail distribution operations. Entergy owns and operates power plants with approximately 30,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity, and it is the second-largest nuclear generator in the United States. Entergy delivers electricity to 2.7 million utility customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. Entergy has annual revenues of more than $11 billion and approximately 14,500 employees.
