Craighead, AR- Summer has officialy arrived meaning HOT summer days are here, and keeping your electric bill down could be a hassle.

Entergy Arkansas wants to help you keep you bill down, and a recent release tells you exactly how to do that.

Tips and Tricks:

  • Change air filters. Air filters on some air conditioning units require monthly cleaning or replacing.
  • Setting the thermostat to 78 degrees or the highest comfortable temperature. Every degree lower than 78 can raise a bill as much as 3%.
  • 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.
  • Entergy Arkansas customers can also use their myAdvisor tool on myentergy.com. To view the usage and cost tool can compare usage history by month, day and hour.

Even with those tips families may still struggle to pay that electric bill and Entergy Akransas strives to make sure you get the help you need, when your in your most time of need.

Heather Kendrick, Communication Specialist for Entergy Arkansas says “[They] have several ways that we work to help our customers in the summer months, with bill help, and all of those are detailed on our website.” Kendrick said, “We have one program called The Power to Care, which is financed by donation from employees and also from community members, and it is bill assistance for customers that need a little bit of financial help, paying the electric bill.”

Kendrick says they also have many third-party companies that help with paying the bill, which can be found on their website, or by calling 1-800-ENTERGY (1-800-368-3749)