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New Orleans, La. – Arctic fronts have
begun making their way south and with them come the challenges of staying warm
and managing the costs that go with it.
Entergy New Orleans, Inc. officials remind customers that just a few simple
steps can help keep winter’s cold outside where it belongs while also helping
keep energy costs more manageable.
“Our customers may not need to dig
their cars out of a snow bank, but cold weather still means increased usage and
higher bills,” said Melonie Hall, customer service director for Entergy New
Orleans, Inc. “In many ways, we may have a harder time with cooler temperatures
than our neighbors to the north. That’s why we partner with our customers to
help them manage their bills through cold weather just like we do in summer
months.”
Customers are reminded of the top
five energy-savers:
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Adjust the thermostat. During
winter months, set the thermostat to 68 degrees. Every degree higher can add 3
percent to your bill.
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Conserve hot water. Wrap your
electric water heater with a water heater blanket and set the thermostat to
120 degrees or medium. Insulate pipes running to and from the heater and check
for leaky faucets.
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Replace air and furnace filters
every 30 days. Air conditioning and heating remain the top energy cost for a
home, so keeping them in good condition makes sense.
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Use energy-efficient bulbs when
replacing light bulbs. Entergy recommends Energy Star qualified compact
fluorescent light bubs that use 70 percent less energy and last up to 10 times
longer than incandescent bulbs.
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Seal air leaks. In drafty homes,
the air may “turn over” several times an hour, meaning that the home’s entire
volume of air must be reheated that often.
Weather-stripping in any location
where there may be a path from the inside of your home to the outside makes good
sense. That includes places you may not think of – such as attic hatchways and
electrical outlets and switches.
Entergy New Orleans also encourages
customers to look into programs the company already has in place that can
simplify managing and paying monthly energy bills. These include several billing
options, such as Levelized Billing, Pick-A-Date, pay-by-phone and on-line
resources, such as the company’s ENSight Web site that helps customers identify
ways they can save.
Entergy New Orleans, Inc. is an
electric and gas utility serving Orleans Parish and is a subsidiary of Entergy
Corporation. The company provides electricity to approximately 150,000 customers
and natural gas to approximately 96,000 customers in Orleans Parish.
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entergy-neworleans.com
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