GRETNA, La. (WGNO) — During the summer, many people choose to stay inside, but even though temperatures are high, your electric bills don’t have to be.

The staff at Entergy New Orleans says there are several ways to conserve energy. One way is to use a fan to cool off.

“They use less electricity than an air conditioning unit, and I do that at home at night as well,” explained Entergy New Orleans Vice President of Customer Service Nyka Scott. “I do have my AC unit on, obviously, but you can set your thermostat a little higher if you use a box fan or some other kind of rotating fan just to circulate the air and keep you cool in your immediate area.”

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The staff at Gattuso’s Neighborhood Restaurant, Bar & Catering in Gretna offers indoor seating, but many people are drawn to their outdoor patio, which is why the staff has taken many steps to make sure their customers are cool.

“Misters and fans are really helpful,” said Angelina Vicknair, who works with Gattuso’s. “We have lots of umbrella and shade with our greenery. Frozen drinks are always a good option. Then, we also have a patio inside, so it’s more like a sunroom if you will.”

Another way to conserve energy is by adjusting your thermostat to a lower temperature while you’re away.

“With how it does is outside, your unit is just going to run and run and run, and that’s why we also recommend getting a thermostat that’s programmable because then, if you don’t want it to be hot when you get home, you can program it. So, it’ll set your temperature down to 73 or 74 or whatever is comfortable for you, so that your home is cooled down by the time you get home from work,” said Scott.

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It’s a tool Gattuso’s uses as well.

“We do get into the restaurant early in the day to get the AC nice and cool, so that when the kitchen does start running and the heat is going that the restaurant is already very cool,” said Vicknair. “So, we make sure that it stays that way throughout the day. We’re not looking to spare expenses on the AC bill at this time but just to keep everybody happy and comfortable.”

For more information, visit the Entergy Bill Toolkit page.

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