News Release > Increased Winter Usage Affects Bills; Improving Efficiency Will Help

For Immediate Release

Increased Winter Usage Affects Bills; Improving Efficiency Will Help

02/09/2021

Contact
David Lewis||dlewis1@entergy.com
Adding insulation in the attic is one of several good ways to improve a home's energy efficiency.
Adding insulation in the attic is one of several good ways to improve a home's energy efficiency.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – It’s cold outside, homebound customers use more power, and a few extra days on the bill all add up to the potential for higher electric bills in February.

Higher bills for January usage (billed in February) are, in most cases, the result of one or more of the following:

  • Colder temps in January result in higher bills in February. According to the National Weather Service, Arkansas temperatures were 2-5 degrees colder January 2021 than they were January 2020.
  • Being at home more because of the pandemic tends to increase residential energy usage, resulting in higher bills.
  • Billing cycles are normally for roughly a one-month period, but they do not necessarily begin on the first of the month. In numerous current cases, billing cycles that began in January 2021 were 2-7 days longer than normal. If recorded usage seems to be especially high, examine that data on your bill. If that’s the issue, it will true up in the next bill.

Because reasons for high bills vary case to case, customers with questions about their bills should contact our customer service representatives at 1-800-368-3749 (1-800-ENTERGY). Our representatives can investigate the customers’ accounts and can verify whether the billings are correct and can provide additional information about a specific customer’s account.

Improve Efficiency

Entergy Arkansas offers the following additional suggestions for those facing higher electric bills:

First, use no more energy than necessary. Follow simple energy-saving tips, like setting your thermostat on 68 degrees or lower; reversing ceiling fans to push warm air down into the room and insulating doors and windows.

Manage Your Billing; Get Help if You Need It

But if a high bill has already arrived, there are ways you can get help managing your costs or even paying your bill.

  • Level Billing --Entergy averages your bill over a rolling 12-month period so you have a consistent bill each month of the year. Pay about the same every month, with no surprises. 
  • Pick-A-Date -- Choose what day of the month you get billed to line up with your budget and manage your cash flow.
  • Power to Care— Through Entergy's The Power to Care program, local nonprofit agencies can provide emergency bill payment assistance to seniors and disabled individuals in crisis. Find out more at entergy-arkansas.com/bill-help/
  • LIHEAP-- LIHEAP (Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program) is a program that provides money to help people with energy bills and other energy-related expenses. LIHEAP is funded through the federal government and works with community action agencies to help customers pay for and keep electric service in their homes. For information on how to apply for assistance, call 1-800-421-0762 or visit the Arkansas Community Action Agencies Assication, Inc. website.

If you’re behind on your bill payments, don’t delay. Contact Entergy either through your account online or by phone at 1-800 ENTERGY  (1-800-368-3749) to make payment arrangements, which include delaying the due date or spreading the amount owed over a period of up to 12 months. Entergy’s customer service representatives can help you determine what solution might be right for you.

Entergy Arkansas provides electricity to approximately 715,000 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, including nearly 9,000 megawatts of nuclear power. Entergy delivers electricity to 2.9 million utility customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Entergy has annual revenues of approximately $11 billion and more than 13,000 employees.

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