Surviving the Summer Heat - KPLC 7 News, Lake Charles, Louisiana

Dominic Wade doesn't mind the heat but says for his family that's a different story.

"Only me and my dad like the heat but the rest of my family doesn't" said Wade, a visitor to Lake Charles.  "They like the cold and the snow and that" Wade said.

So what do they do to cool off when it gets too hot?

"Go inside. Sit down and relax!" Wade said.

With heat reaching temperatures in the hundreds, some may worry that running air conditioning units constantly during the severe heat will result in higher energy bills.  That's not necessarily the case. 

"We are very fortunate in the southern states and this region we have some of the lowest energy costs in the nation" said Regional Customer Service Manager at Entergy, Chip Arnould.  "During the summer one of the biggest tips is to set your thermostat as close to 78 as you can stand it".

78 degrees might seem high for summer heat air conditioning, but Arnould suggests combining that with ceiling and box fans will do the trick.

"A great tool that will help you with that is ceiling fans and box fans" said Arnould.  "They create a wind chill effect on your body that will allow you to get closer to that nominal 78 degree mark".

Specializing in the needs of senior citizens, the Calcasieu Council on Aging (COA) is ready to help lake area seniors attack the heat.

"We just got a $2,500 donation from Sasol and their employees" said COA Executive Director, Jacqueline Green.  "We have 200 box fans that we are eligible to give away right now for senior citizens in Calcasieu Parish.  They just need to call our office and ask for a box fan and go through the paperwork and they can get a box fan that helps with the circulation in their home" said Green.

Not only is the agency helping seniors cool off, they've teamed up with Entergy to help seniors save money

"We can help up to 300 low income Calcasieu Parish residents with up to $100 on their light bills during these really hot months" said Green.  "That gives them a little lee way so that they're not afraid to run their air during these really hot days".

If you're a senior citizen or know one, Arnould says one of the biggest tips to know is, "utilize fans, be sure that they clean their filters on a regular basis and perform maintenance".

To contact the Calcasieu Council on Aging, call (337) 474- 2583.