JACKSON, Miss. - Mississippi's normally mild winters are known for bringing us lower energy bills. But long stretches of low temperatures like those experienced in recent weeks call for cranked-up heaters. And that can crank up the energy bills, too.

"Weather is an important factor in determining how high or how low an energy bill may be," said Robbin Jeter, Entergy Mississippi vice president of customer service. "We've come to expect higher bills in summer when we run our air conditioners 24-7. But with the cold weather we've experienced recently, it's important to remember that when we have to turn up the heat, that affects our bills, too."

With a good six weeks of winter ahead, there are no guarantees it won't continue to be a cold one. To stay comfortable in the cold without having to break into your piggy bank, here are three quick tips:

1. Turn the heat down-just a little! Air conditioning and heating remain the top energy-users in the average residential home. During winter months, keep the thermostat set on 68 degrees. Each degree warmer will also warm up your bill by about 3 percent.

2. Blanket your water heater. Heating water for cooking, cleaning, laundry and bathing is the second-largest energy user in homes. Insulating blankets for electric water heaters are inexpensive and readily available at any home improvement store. These will make a difference in your energy bills.

3. Think long term. Making your home more energy efficient is a good move for lowering bills all year round. You can start by checking out Entergy Mississippi's Save Me Money page. You'll find general energy-saving tips and tools, many of which are either no-cost or low cost, personalized money savings tips, an energy calculator and more. You're only one click away from a lower bill!

And while you're on the money-saving site, take a tour of the do-it-yourself videos and other self-help resources available. It may be just what you need to make the rest of this winter, and the winters to come, a little more comfortable.

Entergy Mississippi, Inc. provides electricity to more than 437,000 customers in 45 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, including more than 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 Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Entergy has annual revenues of more than $10 billion and approximately 15,000 employees.

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