BATON ROUGE- With their most recent bills arriving in the mail, many people in the Greater Baton Rouge area are getting ready to pay higher-than-normal electric bills.

Those without budget or level billing are likely seeing their bills sky-rocket largely due to increased usage during cold weather that south Louisiana has not seen in years.

According to Greg Guilbeau, senior manager of customer service for Entergy, "the colder temperature can cause their heater to run a bit longer. They may have some areas in their home that need to be spruced up."

Guilbeau also explained that during the winter each degree above 68-degrees can increase your bill by as much as 3%. That is one reason why some people try not to touch their thermostat, and they instead find alternative ways to stay warm.

"We just use throws and comforters to cover myself up, and I wear a sweatshirt during the daytime," Milton Sam, an Entergy customer, told WBRZ.

Other customers like Bernard Oti of Baton Rouge do not see anything unusual with their latest bill. Oti said, "It's not high. It's normal to me. That's my normal bill. That's what I pay every month."

On their website and app, Entergy provides options for people who are shocked by the drastic increase in their electric bill, but there are resources available for customers who are having trouble paying their bill.

"Entergy does have a program called 'The Power to Care.' If they get in touch with the American Red Cross or the Council on Aging, they can help you pay your bill," said Guilbeau.

In addition to their billing program, they also offer deferred payment and extension options. For more information on that, customers should call 1-800-ENTERGY or visit their website here.