Lower rates and wiser energy choices are friendly to your wallet

Little Rock, Ark. – Just as electric bills start to increase because of the summer heat, Entergy Arkansas, Inc. customers will see a reduction in rates – a whopping 23 percent reduction from last summer.

The lower rate will result in a $24 savings on the typical Entergy Arkansas residential customer bill, which is for 1,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity. The rate decrease is in response to lower fuel costs and projections through the end of 2010. A residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt-hours will pay $85.91 starting in July, about what customers were paying in July of 1986.

“This is good news for our customers as we move into the hot summer months,” said Oscar Washington, customer service director for Entergy Arkansas, Inc. “It’s always a great feeling when we can pass along savings to our customers.”

Washington said that while fuel prices are expected to remain relatively low and stable through the summer, there are many other factors affecting customers’ electric bills.

“Some of these are well within customers’ control,” said Washington. “A small change, such as keeping your home’s thermostat set at optimum levels in summer, can add up to real savings when the bills come.”

Entergy Arkansas encourages customers to partner with the company in controlling electricity costs by taking advantage of solutions the company offers, such as these top three tips for reducing your electricity usage:

• Raise Your Thermostat, Lower Your bill—Air conditioning can account for up to 55 percent of an average home’s monthly bill. Raise thermostats to 78 degrees during warmer months to reduce electricity use as much as 20 percent.

• Get Your Ducts in a Row—Sealing duct work, caulking and weather stripping are easy ways to reduce electrical consumption. Seal places where electrical, plumbing or heating systems come into your home. Caulk or weather-strip around doors, windows and wall seams, and add insulating gaskets on all electrical outlets and switches.

• Keep Your Cool—Use ceiling or box fans to circulate cool air and feel more comfortable.

Find more easy-to-use tips and answers to your energy questions at entergyanswers.com.

The utility also offers several billing options to customers to help them manage their monthly budgets and assists elderly and disabled low-income customers through its customer assistance fund, The Power to Care. The fund is administered by the Southern Good Faith Fund and funded by Entergy employees, customers and shareholders. To contribute to the fund, visit entergy-arkansas.com or check the donation box on your monthly bill.

Entergy Arkansas, Inc. provides electricity to more than 687,000 customers in 63 counties. It is a subsidiary of Entergy Corporation. 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, and it is the second-largest nuclear generator in the United States. Entergy delivers electricity to 2.7 million utility customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas.

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