Entergy now offers programs that can save you money when paying your monthly bills.
Entergy Smart, an Entergy program, offers cash incentives to help pay for home improvements and discounts on things like energy audits, air conditioning inspections and tune-ups that can reduce energy costs.
“I think it’s a beneficial program for all of our customers because we’re offering discounts or rebates on a variety of things. I think it’s in all of our customers best interest to try and take advantage of it,” Charles Rice, Entergy’s CEO, said.
Renters and homeowners alike can get an energy audit from a company like River View Solar that can help to identify air leaks in a home and give the homeowner or renter the information needed to fix the problems.
“If it’s on a budget, go through Entergy Smart and have the energy audit done. A walk-through energy audit is only $35. We don’t even have to come back. A lot of this stuff you can do yourself becauseyou’ll know the implications of all of it. We give you all the hints and there are a lot of articles we can show you,” Wayne Erdman, owner of River View Solar, said.
After an energy audit, the renter or homeowner has 120 days to make the improvements suggested. They don’t have to go through a contractor to make the improvements, but if they go through a contractor approved by Entergy Smart, they can receive rebates for the work done.
Air leaks are most commonly found around windows, doors and air conditioners, Erdman said. Leaks can also come from light switches, attics and chimneys. These are areas of the house people can fix themselves.
“Air sealing and caulking are number one. If it has old windows, you can put acrylic windows on the inside. The last thing would be to add a little insulation and then get on the landlord. Notify him that you know you want to live in a better home and there are great incentives right now,” Erdman said.
Having an energy efficient home is beneficial to Entergy as well. “It’s good for us because by having more energy efficient homes, it reduces the amount of load that we have to serve. And if we are able to reduce the amount of energy we have to serve, then that reduces the cost of investments we need to make.” Another energy sucker in homes is phantom power. When you have that phone charger plugged in and even though youdon’t have your phone hooked up to it, it’s still using power,” he said. Unplugging devices and turning off power strips when not in use can help eliminate phantom power.
“Caulking or getting weather stripping on your door seal and windows in your house. Also air conditioning takes up a majority of your electric bill and if you were to raise the thermostat two to three degrees, it could result in savings,” were other measures Rice suggested.
While you might not see immediate results on your bill, Erdman said, you will see a difference in the home.
“The condition of the home immediately feels better and it’s easier to heat and cool because you don’t have warm air leaking in the home,” he said.
If students don’t want to pay for an energy audit, there is a virtual advisor on Entergy.com that will take them through each room in their house and suggest different things to do in those rooms to save money.
another reason to improve the energy efficiency of homes. The rates went into effect in October, however Entergy is still in negotiations with City Council with regard to the increase. If the two come to an agreement later, the increase could be nullified or it could be reduced, according to Rice.
Rice doesn’t think the increase will hurt students and others who live on a budget.
“The rate increase was a total of $3.7 million, and that’s spread among all of our customers. It’s a $1.36 increase,” he said.
The increase will go to fund operations and maintenance of the system and everything it takes to run the company, according to Rice.
Mary Jameson can be reached at [email protected]
