Companies offer safety, money-saving and other tips

BATON ROUGE, La. - Ol' man winter has decided to make his presence felt in the South this week. And while the Bayou State will be spared much of the sleet and snow falling in surrounding states, Entergy Louisiana, LLC and Entergy Gulf States Louisiana, L.L.C. are prepared to respond to any power outages that could be caused by the vast winter weather system.

"We're fortunate that current forecasts don't anticipate much impact from frozen precipitation in our service territory," said Dennis Dawsey, vice president of transmission and distribution operations in Louisiana. "But with heavy rain over most of the state, winds out of the north and freezing temps in some areas, we could be affected. Crews are ready to safely restore power as quickly as possible."

Customers are encouraged to download Entergy's mobile app to access outage maps and information. In addition, storm-preparedness tips and online services are available to customers through "Entergy Storm Center," "myAccount" and "View Outages." Through myAccount, customers can sign up to send and receive text information about power outages at their homes and businesses through their cellphones. Registration is easy.

Make Safety the First Priority

"We also urge customers to monitor the weather and prepare to implement their own winter storm plans if needed," Dawsey said. "As with any storm, safety is always our first priority and we want it to be yours too."

Here are some convenient tips. For more, visit Entergy Louisiana's safety page.

  • Do not walk in standing water or venture into areas of debris since power lines that could still be energized and dangerous may not be visible. Call 1-800-9OUTAGE (1-800-968-8243) to report downed or dangling power lines, poles or other damaged equipment.

  • Keep away from fences and other objects that can become energized if they come in contact with downed power lines.

  • Make sure to review gas safety tips - especially if this is the first time your gas heater has been turned on this season - and have a licensed professional thoroughly check your heating system.

  • Maintain your outdoor pipes and have a licensed professional examine and clean your home's chimney.

  • Don't use candles or other flammable devices to warm your home.

  • Check on seniors, who can be particularly susceptible to extreme temperatures.

Stay Comfy, Save Money

Besides urging customers to keep safety at the forefront, Entergy's Louisiana utilities also offer tips to help customers battle winter's chill, while still keeping a lid on energy bills:

  • Adjust the thermostat. During winter months, grab a sweater or a blanket to stay toasty, and set the thermostat to 68 degrees. Every degree higher can add 3 percent to your bill.

  • Conserve hot water. Wrap your electric water heater with a water heater blanket and set the thermostat to 120 degrees or medium.

  • Replace air and furnace filters every 30 days or as required by the type of filter.

  • When you change your light bulbs, replace them with energy-efficient models. Entergy recommends Energy Star-qualified compact fluorescent light bulbs that use 70 percent less energy and last up to 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs.

  • Seal air leaks. Install weather stripping around doors, windows and any location where there may be a path between the inside and outside of your home.

More tips, as well as clear, do-it-yourself videos, to help put these ideas to work can be found at entergylouisiana.com/savemoney.

Entergy''s Louisiana utility companies provide electric service to more than one million customers through the operating companies Entergy Louisiana, LLC and Entergy Gulf States Louisiana, L.L.C. and natural gas service to more than 90,000 customers in the greater Baton Rouge area through Entergy Gulf States Louisiana. With operations in southern, central and northeastern Louisiana, the companies are subsidiaries of Entergy Corporation.

Entergy, which celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2013, is an integrated energy company engaged primarily in electric power production and retail distribution operations. Entergy owns and operates power plants with 30,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity, including more than approximately 10,000 megawatts of nuclear power, making it one of the nation's leading nuclear generators. Entergy delivers electricity to 2.8 million utility customers in Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi and Texas. Entergy has annual revenues of more than $10 billion and approximately 15,000 employees.

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