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BEAUMONT, Texas – Sunshine, warm temperatures and days by the pool aren’t the only things summertime brings in the South. It also means an increase in energy consumption to help offset those scorching temperatures.

As the dog days of summer come rolling in, don’t let your bills get hit with the summertime blues. Follow these tips to help keep bills low through the hot-weather months:

• As the temperatures outside start to rise, so does your energy usage. Track your energy usage via the myAdvisor tool on myEntergy.comto view when you use the most energy. Need help registering?
• Heating and cooling can account for as much as 55% of your monthly energy usage. Set your thermostat at 78 degrees or the highest comfortable temperature. Every degree lower than 78 can raise your bill by as much as 3 percent. If you crank down the A/C to a cooler 72 degrees, you’ve already increased your bill by 18 percent.
• Buy a programmable thermostat. As energy use rises, costs also rise.
• 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 inside.
• 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.
• Make sure the air coming into your home is clean and healthy. Air filters on some air conditioning units require monthly cleaning or replacement. You can also get your A/C inspected to make sure your system is leak-free and operating as efficiently as possible.
• Visit the Entergy Texas Entergy Solutionspage for energy-saving solutions. You could qualify for basic weatherization services to reduce energy consumption such as duct sealing, weather stripping, caulking around your windows, sealing plumbing penetrations, sealing air returns and adding insulation.
• Access entergy.com/savemoneyfor energy-saving tips and calculators that will help you determine the best cost-cutting scenarios to suit your needs.

Residential customers can find information about bill-payment assistance programs by visiting entergy.com/mypaymentoptions to find a plan that best fits their individual needs.