The Record Newspapers - Hometown News For Orange County, Texas

Thousands of Entergy Texas customers are ahead of the curve when manufacturers end production of 40- and 60-watt light bulbs this January. That’s because Entergy Solutions, the company’s energy efficiency program, has already installed more than 650,000 compact fluorescent bulbs in homes throughout Southeast Texas, making them more energy efficient while helping customers cut their energy bills down to size.

In fact, the bulbs installed represent a savings of 66,920,145 in kilowatt-hours annually, enough electricity to power 5,577 average-use homes for a year.

“It’s all about energy efficiency and phasing out the very inefficient incandescent light bulbs that produce as much heat as light,” explained Kelley Carson, manager for Entergy Solutions in Texas. “Manufacturers stopped making new 75-watt and 100-watt bulbs in the last two years, and as of January, the federal law calling for phasing out incandescent bulbs extends to both 40-watt and 60-watt versions.”

Although homeowners will gradually find incandescent bulbs disappearing from store shelves, many of the Entergy Texas customers who have plugged into the company’s energy efficiency programs already have efficient, inexpensive bulbs that will last for 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs.

“Installing in thousands of homes in the 12 years we’ve been making energy efficient improvements is just the beginning of what we do,” Carson said.

Entergy Solutions does far more than install energy-efficient lighting. The program covers a wide range of activities involving residential customers as well as governmental agencies and businesses. With 2014 fast approaching, customers are reminded that January represents more than just the beginning of the end for more incandescent light bulbs. It also represents the beginning of a new year for Entergy Solutions.

“We start each year with a new budget, usually some improvements in how we manage the program and quality vendors who are ready to analyze our customers’ homes, businesses, schools and buildings used by governmental entities and figure out what we can do to make them more energy efficient,” Carson said. “And that means saving money.”

Residential customers who take part in the program have access to a number of improvements from weather-stripping to attic insulation and duct work improvement. Most will be done at no cost or for a small charge. Customers interested in a whole house approach to better match federal Energy Star efficiency standards may do so through a program that provides a thorough assessment of the home, makes recommendations and pays incentives on the energy efficiency improvements installed.

Programs for commercial businesses, schools and governments provide cash incentives, design expertise, benchmarking and energy efficiency business plan development. Those interested in exploring what’s available through any of the programs may go to entergytexas.com and click on the Entergy Solutions link at the bottom of the page.

Entergy Texas, Inc. delivers electricity to more than 420,000 customers in 27 counties. It is a subsidiary of Entergy Corporation. Entergy, which celebrates its 100th birthday this year, 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, and it is the second-largest nuclear generator in the United States. Entergy delivers electricity to 2.7 million utility customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas.

Entergy can also be found on Facebook at Facebook.com/EntergyTX.