We know how important it is to keep you informed, especially regarding utility bill costs.

Last summer, utility bills across the nation surged, largely influenced by a spike in the cost of natural gas. Many domestic and global factors contributed to this two-fold increase in the cost of natural gas, and while the supply remained adequate, the cost of the natural gas that Entergy and other utilities use to generate electricity experienced the same upward cost pressure. The cost of the natural gas that Entergy uses to generate electricity, which is listed on bills as the Fuel Adjustment Charge, was one of the major drivers influencing higher than normal bills last summer.

Looking ahead for the rest of this summer, we anticipate that natural gas prices will remain at a much lower level – down over 50% from this past year. However as always in the South, the need for additional electricity to cool your home or business during these extreme summertime temperatures will continue to be a significant driver for bills, but we know that lower natural gas prices, leading to lower prices on your electricity bill, will be welcome news for all our customers.

We all want to save money on our bills, so we encourage you to consider taking steps at home to be more energy efficient to reduce your energy usage, where possible. As we typically see during the summer, hot weather makes our air conditioners work harder, and cooling costs can make up more than 50% of your bill. Here are some tips we recommend:

• Change air filters. Air filters on some air conditioning units require monthly cleaning or replacing.
• Setting the thermostat to 78 degrees or the highest comfortable temperature.��Every degree lower than 78 can raise a bill as much as 3%.
• Buy a programmable thermostat. A programmable thermostat can help manage costs, is controllable, and can help monitor usage.
• Use fans to cool off. Ceiling fans, box fans and oscillating fans use very little electricity to circulate the air. Make sure ceiling fans are rotating in the right direction – counter-clockwise during summer – to push cooler air down into the room. Be sure to turn all fans off in unused rooms.
• Close blinds, shades and curtains to keep the sun out and the cool air in. Also, close air conditioning vents in rooms that are not in use.
• Seal cracks and holes around doors, windows and ductwork. Weather stripping and caulk will help keep the cold air in and the hot air out.
• Use the myAdvisor tool on��. The usage and cost tool can compare usage history by month, day and hour.

Though this comes as a sense of relief for many, we know that any increase in monthly bills can be burdensome.

Through the , our company offers a variety of programs and resources to help customers save energy and money at their home or business, including incentive and rebate programs.

We also offer several bill payment assistance plans, including deferred payment arrangements, levelized billing and pick-a-day billing, to name a few. To learn more about these options, as well as assistance programs like The Power to Care and the Low-Income Home ���ϳԹ��� Assistance Program, visit: .

If you are a customer or know someone struggling to pay their utility bills, please do not wait — call us at 1-800-ENTERGY so that you can be connected with a customer service representative who will be happy to help assist you with your unique situation.

Thank you,

Sandra Diggs-Miller

Entergy New Orleans Customer Service Vice President

But why? Your thermostat can’t adjust how quickly it heats up a space, regardless of how large or small an area is. It takes a lot of electricity to make heat, which will drive up your energy usage. The higher the temperature difference, the harder your heating system needs to work. Even if your home is heated by gas, electricity is still needed to make the system work.

While it takes more energy to heat than cool your home, there are some steps you can take to reduce energy and save on your electric bill:��

• Install a programable thermostat.
• Lower your thermostat setting to 68 degrees.
• Make sure vent returns aren’t covered with furniture or curtains.
• Check all the vents in your home and make sure they are fully opened. Close the ones in rooms not being used.
• Close your fireplace damper when it is not in use.
• Use a fan to circulate warm air through the room rather than relying completely on your heating unit.
• Add insulation and seal air leaks to keep the warm air in and cold air out.
• If it’s sunny out, open your curtains to allow the heat from the sun warm the house up.

While customers may be using more energy during the cooler winter months, the typical New Orleans household bill falls near the middle of the pack when compared to other utilities.

If you’re struggling to pay your bills, we’ve created a customer assistance plan that may be able to help including deferred payment arrangements. Those seeking to make payment arrangements can call 1-800-ENTERGY, visit our online portal, myEntergy, or download the Entergy mobile app.

To learn more about tools available to you to manage your bill and usage, please visit these pages:

Entergy New Orleans customers with advanced meters have a handy way to access detailed energy usage data online through the MyAdvisor dashboard to help manage their bills and conserve energy.

Detailed energy usage information can be accessed by logging into��entergy.com/MyAdvisor. Once logged in, customers can visit the “My Usage and Cost” section to compare energy usage and cost by month, day and hour increments. The MyAdvisor tool also is available through the Entergy App.

In addition to customer energy usage, the bill projection tab provides an estimate of what a bill will be by the end of the billing cycle. The bill analyzer tool lets a customer compare previous bills by month and year to better understand the effects of variables like the number of days in the billing cycle, energy usage, fuel costs and weather.

Entergy has been powering New Orleans for nearly 100 years. How we all use and manage energy is now more critical than ever. We are committed to providing you with solutions to save money as we work towards a more sustainable future for our city.

I know that some of you may be struggling to pay your bill during the pandemic. The economic strain has hit our City hard. While bills can—and do—fluctuate, I want to share some insight as to what could impact your bill from month to month.

Some impacts to your bill may include:

• If you’re a typical residential customer using 1000 kWh of energy one month and increased your usage by 500 kWh the following month, you may see a significant increase in your bill. Don’t forget that some customers in New Orleans also use gas service, which will add to your overall bill. Visit the myAdvisor tool on to get a clear view of when you use the most energy. The usage & cost tool can compare your usage history by month, day and hour.
• During the colder and warmer weather months, more energy is used to warm or cool your home. In fact, heating and cooling costs can account for as much as 55% of your monthly energy usage. Remember, the bigger the difference between inside and outside temperatures and the more repeated days of colder temperatures there are, the more electricity and gas are used. Additionally, the average monthly billing cycle days can vary.

So, what does all of this mean? While each individual item on your bill can affect your budgeting, when more than one factor influences your bill at the same time, it can be surprising. But you do have options to help you save money and manage your energy usage.

If you’re concerned about your energy usage, the program ��offers free virtual and in-home energy assessments and rebates to help reduce the up-front cost of installing energy-efficient equipment such as high-efficiency HVAC tune-ups, insulation, air sealing and duct sealing. You also can purchase energy efficiency products and upgrades through our online .

Additional steps to lower your energy usage and cost include:

• Setting thermostat to 68 degrees during the winter months and 78 degrees during the summer months.
• Checking all the vents and making sure they are fully opened. Close the ones in rooms not being used. Make sure vent returns aren’t covered with furniture or curtains.
• Closing the fireplace damper when it is not in use.
• Using a fan to circulate air through the room.
• Adding insulation and seal air leaks.

I want to assure you that we are here to help you if you’re struggling to pay your bill.

Call us at 1-800-Entergy to discuss our bill payment assistance plan. The plan includes deferred payment arrangements for up to 12 months and payment extensions with waived late fees. Customers also can visit entergy.com/mypaymentoptions to find a payment option that best fits their needs.

Entergy has been powering New Orleans for more than 100 years. How we all use and manage energy is now more critical than ever.

Entergy New Orleans has created an Enhanced Customer Assistance Plan to help you manage potential arrear balances. We understand that every situation is unique, and this plan provides options such as up to a 12-month payment option and additional resources to help you manage your bill.

Additionally, there are several federal, local and state financial assistance options available. With higher government relief funding and broader eligibility requirements, customers may qualify for funding even if you did not previously qualify. If you think you may be eligible, act now, as funds and time are limited. Additional payment and financial assistance resources for residential customers are available on our customer resources page.

Eligible Entergy New Orleans customers also can�� participate in the The program ��provides $100 ��in direct bill credits for up to four months for customers who have received ��unemployment benefits due to the pandemic. Text CCC to 69516, call (504) 493-7004 or visit one of ���Գٱ������’s two New Orleans walk-in customer care centers– 4021 Behrman Hwy or 3400 Canal St.– to apply for the Program.

Customers can access easy to use self-service options 24/7. Here are several easy ways to make deferred payment arrangements:

Please beware of scams. Opportunistic scam artists are coming up with new and unique ways to take advantage of customers. Entergy NEVER demands immediate payment from customers. If you are not sure if a call is from Entergy, hang up and call us at 1-800-Entergy to speak to a customer service representative.

For more than 100 years of serving our customers, we have faced many challenges together. But we have never wavered in our commitment to do everything we can to safely support our customers and the communities we serve. Together, we power life.

Recently,��Entergy New Orleans��launched��a��hub��with��links to��local, state and federal resources��for residential customers��to access��nonprofits,��community��food distributions, updated COVID-19 information and more.����

Some of our customers are facing tough��and unique financial��challenges. To help,��Entergy New Orleans��has developed several new flexible��payment options��for customers who are having difficulty paying their utility bills due to the COVID-19 pandemic.��We’ve��also��extended the suspension of disconnects��for non-payment��until May 31, 2020.��We encourage customers to��make��electric and gas bill��payments��to ensure��balances do not continue to grow.����

The safety of our customers is very important.��Please remember,��while there’s a lot of helpful information and resources available,��we��urge��customers��to��always remain aware and��not to��fall victim to scams.��Entergy never demands��payment over the phone or asks��customers��to buy a prepaid debit card to pay��their��bill.��

We understand that the energy we deliver is��vital��to managing through the COVID-19 crisis. Our employees��are��working to ensure that we are keeping the power on and the gas flowing.��Together, We Power Life.��

We recognize that you may, at times, experience higher than normal bills due in large part to increased energy usage. However, advancements in technology have provided us with new insights into how energy is used.

Last year, Entergy began its journey to a smarter energy future focusing on customer needs by installing advanced meters on homes systemwide, with our millionth install right here in New Orleans. As we continue these installations, we encourage you to empower yourself to make more informed decisions about how and when you use electricity in your home. The data from the new meters will pinpoint high energy usage to help you learn how to use your home appliances more efficiently and, in turn, save money.

There’s more we do to partner with you on lowering bills.�� Our can help make your home more energy efficient. Partnerships with local companies give us the ability to offer free to low-cost solutions, such as LED light bulbs, water-conservation measures and smart thermostats, and home assessments to help you save. Rebates and incentives are also provided for duct sealing, A/C tune ups and replacements, attic insulation for qualified homes, and lighting and appliances. We’ll even send you a to help you get started.

While you’re waiting for your kit, you can take simple steps around your home to conserve energy. One way is to set your thermostat to the highest possible comfortable temperature during the summer months. We recommend 68 degrees during the winter months and 78 degrees during the summer months. Remember, for every degree above or below the recommended seasonal temperature, your bill can increase by as much as 3%. Be sure to seal cracks around doors and windows to keep your home comfortable and at an optimal temperature.

Entergy provides several ways you can manage your billing and usage. If you feel your bill is too high, try to compare your energy usage over time and learn about fuel costs. With this tool, customers can pinpoint the best ways to save money.

We also offer and our program, which helps customers customize their bill payments to best suit them. Qualifying customers can also if they need an extension to pay their bill.

���Գٱ������’s The Power to Care program helps low-income, disabled and elderly customers pay their electricity bills in their time of need. Funds are donated by Entergy employees, customers and shareholders. In addition to The Power to Care, bill-payment assistance is available through the federal Low-Income Home ���ϳԹ��� Assistance Program (LIHEAP).

Entergy has been powering New Orleans for nearly 100 years. How we all use and manage energy is now more critical than ever. We are committed to providing you with solutions to save money today as we combat climate change for a greener tomorrow.