Stay comfortable and save money this summer with tips from Mississippi Power

Gulfport, Miss. – The National Weather Service in Slidell issued a heat advisory Thursday for much of the Mississippi Power service territory, which is expecting to see temperatures hover in the mid-90s for the next several days.

The advisory means the heat index – what the temperature actually feels like – will be between 105 and 110 degrees. Friday afternoon’s heat index is predicted to be 106 degrees.

Mississippi Power offers customers focused on energy efficiency the following tips to help them stay comfortable and save money during the hottest season of the year:

• Watch the thermostat: Set your thermostat to 78 degrees. You can expect a 3-5 percent increase in energy use for every degree you set the thermostat lower in the summer. Also, consider installing a programmable thermostat.
• Use fans wisely: Fans create a cooling effect and can make a room feel four degrees cooler. Turn ceiling fans off when not in the room to conserve energy.
• Check your A/C: Have your A/C serviced annually to ensure it’s running efficiently. When doing yard work, be sure to trim plants and cut grass near the A/C unit so it can receive proper air flow.
• Adjust the drapes: Make sure drapes, curtains and furniture don’t block air vents but do block sunlight, which can heat up a room drastically.

For more energy-saving tips and information on rebates and incentives, please visit mississippipower.com/my-home/save-energy.

Mississippi Power, a subsidiary of Southern Company (NYSE: SO), produces safe, reliable and environmentally responsible energy for more than 186,000 customers in 23 southeast Mississippi counties. Mississippi Power earned the 2015 ReliabilityOne^TM Award for outstanding midsize utility for excellence in storm restoration and recovery efforts as well as being a leader in reliability, customer service and safety. Visit our websites at www.mississippipower.com and www.mississippipowernews.com, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ and YouTube.

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