1) Does Entergy provide tips for controlling my energy costs?
2) Does Entergy provide bill payment options that can make it easier for me to manage the costs?
3) How does Entergy help those in need?
4) Are there any other less-expensive fuel sources Entergy has considered?
5) What is renewable energy and is Entergy doing anything to make these a greater part of the fuel mix?
6) If natural gas prices drop, how does Entergy pass those savings along to me?
By visiting entergy-texas.com/ENsight entergy-louisiana.com/ENsight entergy-neworleans.com/ENsight entergy-arkansas.com/ENsight entergy-mississippi.com/ENsight, you will find the latest, most updated information with tips on saving money by making easy energy efficiency improvements in your home.
2) Does Entergy provide bill payment options that can make it easier for me to manage the costs?We provide three different payment options, called the CareFree 3CareFree 3CareFree 3CareFree 3CareFree 3, and you can choose to participate in any or all of them:
- Level Billing: With Level Billing we average 12 months’ worth of your bills and that amount becomes your amount due each month. This way, each month’s bill is predictable.
- Automatic Monthly Payments: With this option, the payment is automatically drafted from your checking account. It is a convenience option and frees you from the trouble of writing and mailing a check or paying late fees. Plus, you don’t have to buy stamps.
- Pick-A-Date: This option allows you to pick the date on which your bill payment will be due, so you can time it to flow with your own cash flow situation. You can now pay your Entergy bill online through My Account OnlineMy Account OnlineMy Account OnlineMy Account OnlineMy Account Online and save time, save postage and …save a tree.
We have many outreach programs in place. One example is the Power to Care program. Entergy, its employees and its customers contribute to this program to help qualified low-income elderly and disabled customers pay their electric bills. For more information on Entergy’s community programs, click here.
4) Are there any other less-expensive fuel sources Entergy has considered?We currently use a diverse fuel mix to keep prices lower. This diverse fuel mix includes natural gas, nuclear, coal, hydro and purchased energy. We also take advantage of contracts that allow the company to purchase less-expensive power. We work hard to ensure that we do not become too dependent on any one fuel source.
5) What is renewable energy and is Entergy doing anything to make these a greater part of the fuel mix?Renewable energy is a non-emitting source of energy and is a growing part of our energy mix. In Louisiana, you can sign up for the Geaux Green program and take advantage of this environmentally-friendly source of power.
6) If natural gas prices drop, how does Entergy pass those savings along to me?The costs that Entergy customers pay for fuel is equal to the price that Entergy pays its suppliers for fuel. When fuel prices fluctuate, customer bills reflect these changes. However, because fuel consumed in one month is not billed to the customer in the month it is consumed there is a lag. This lag varies by utility company and is determined by the state public service commission (or city council in the case of New Orleans).
- In Texas we file a revised fuel factor with the Public Utility Commission of Texas twice a year with a current forecast of fuel costs. If fuel and purchased power prices turn out to be less than we forecast, customers will get a fuel refund. They will be compensated interest for the amount at a five percent return on the funds until the company can refund the accumulated fuel over-collection. Entergy earns no profit on fuel.
- In Louisiana, the fuel charge has a two-month lag time before you are billed for it. So if fuel prices went down in September, your November bill will reflect the lower costs. Entergy earns no profit on fuel.
- In New Orleans, the fuel charge has a two-month lag time before you are billed for it. So if fuel prices went down in September, your November bill will reflect the lower costs. Entergy earns no profit on fuel.
- In Arkansas, the amount that Entergy Arkansas, Inc. charges for the fuel and purchased power portion of the bill is adjusted each April. Generally, lower than estimated costs in the prior year will cause the charge to decrease while higher than estimated costs in the prior year will cause the charge to increase. An interim adjustment to this rate may occur if Entergy Arkansas under or over-collects fuel and purchased power costs by more than 10 percent of the amount originally estimated for the year. Entergy Arkansas or the Arkansas Public Service Commission General Staff may propose such an interim adjustment. Entergy earns no profit on fuel.
- In Mississippi, Entergy Mississippi, Inc. submits quarterly fuel adjustment updates with the Mississippi Public Utilities Staff and the Mississippi Public Service Commission to recover costs of fuel costs. The fuel adjustment consists of two parts: - the projected cost of natural gas for the coming quarter and a true-up of actual cost of natural gas for the prior quarter. The true-up process results in any over- or under-recovery of costs flowing back to customers during the quarter. The Staff reviews the submittal and makes recommendations to the Mississippi Public Service Commission. Entergy earns no profit on fuel.