BATON ROUGE, La. – With a focus on the energy savings, community outreach and the environment, employees of Entergy Gulf States Louisiana, L.L.C. are joining Rebuilding Together Calcasieu on Thursday, Oct. 11, to help make 20 Lake Charles homes more energy-efficient. The energy-efficiency home improvements, which are being funded by a $20,000 Entergy Charitable Foundation grant to Rebuilding Together Calcasieu, will help customers reduce energy use in their homes and lower energy costs.

The force of employee and community volunteers will be caulking around windows, installing weather stripping around external doors, replacing incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent ones, changing air conditioner filters, insulating attics and making other energy-efficiency improvements.

'This volunteer effort is about our employees giving back to the community where they live and work by making a lasting difference in these neighborhoods and in the lives of some of our most vulnerable homeowners,' Entergy Gulf States Louisiana President and Chief Executive Officer Bill Mohl said. 'We hope to spread the message that energy efficiency will help all of our customers save money and the environment while helping improve our customers' lives by providing much-needed financial benefits in these tough economic times.'

Entergy's participation in the project is part of a month of employee volunteerism efforts focused on helping customers save energy and money with a series of energy-efficiency initiatives across the state.

According to Entergy Gulf States Louisiana Customer Service Vice President Steven Scheurich, there are many simple steps, tools and technologies that can reduce energy use and lower energy costs. 'The ones we're implementing inside these Lake Charles-area homes will make a significant difference in these families' lives,' said Scheurich.

For example, he explained that air infiltration from the outside is a huge energy loser. In a drafty home, the air may "turn over" several times an hour, meaning that the home''s entire volume of air must be reheated or re-cooled that often. A tight house sees a complete air exchange only once every two to three hours. 'Saving money on your energy bill is easier than you think,' Scheurich said. 'Following a few tips to reduce the amount of energy used in your home can significantly reduce your overall monthly bills. Spending a little time to make changes today can help you reap the rewards for years to come.'

'Energy-efficiency is as much about helping our customers save money as it is about promoting our support for a clean environment,' Mohl said, 'and both are commitments to our community and to Louisiana's future that we take to heart.'

In May, Entergy introduced the 'Save Money' program to provide customers with more resources and tools to help lower energy costs. At entergy-louisiana.com/savemoney, step-by-step videos and printouts on energy-saving home projects energy-saving calculators and more help customers manage energy costs more effectively year-round.

Entergy's Louisiana utility companies serve more than one million customers through the operating companies Entergy Louisiana, LLC and Entergy Gulf States Louisiana, L.L.C. With operations in southern, central and northeastern Louisiana, the companies are part of Entergy Corporation's electric system serving 2.8 million customers in Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi and Texas.