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Storm Preparation & Generator Safety

Portable Generators:

 

During storm and hurricane season, a portable generator can come in handy if your power is interrupted, but portable generators must always be used with safety in mind.  Read and follow the manufacturer’s safety instructions contained in the generator operations manual.

 

According to the National Safety Council, www.nsc.org, generators should NEVER be used in an enclosed space – always run the generator outdoors away from windows, vents and doors.  Portable generator engines emit carbon monoxide (CO) that if inhaled can be fatal to humans and pets.  CO is a colorless, odorless, invisible killer.  Do not attempt to use a generator when it is wet, as this poses a risk for electrocution and death.

 

Permanent Generators:

 

Are you thinking of installing a generator at your home or business for use during power interruptions?  If so, heed these tips before purchasing and installing:

 

  1. Installing a generator is not an average do-it-yourself project.
  2. A qualified electrical contractor must perform the installation of the emergency generator, as well as the disconnect and transfer switchgear.
  3. Do not attempt to connect the generator directly to your electric panel.
  4. Always properly disconnect from SECO’s service before starting your generator.
  5. Before use, read and follow the safety instructions contained in the generator operations manual.

 

Improperly installing or using a generator can lead to property damage, injuries or even death.  Visit our section on generator safety to learn more.

SECO Ready for TD#9 Landfall

As of Tuesday morning, Tropical Depression #9 (TD#9) is located about 240 miles west of Key West and 200 miles west-northwest of Cuba. The National Hurricane Center is predicting TD#9 will strengthen into a tropical storm today.

 

TD#9 has maximum sustained winds of 35 mph, and is moving west-northwest at 7 mph. The storm is expected to turn northeastward on Wednesday with a slight speed increase. Models are forecasting that TD#9 will make landfall as a tropical storm, or a weak Category 1 hurricane on Thursday afternoon or evening near the Florida Big Bend between Apalachicola and Cross City. The system will track east-northeastward, emerging off the northeast Florida coast early Friday morning.

 

The forecast above is based on the NHC projections for the state. Showers and thunderstorms will continue to impact SECO’s service area this week – with the greatest coverage of rain on Thursday as it travels through central and northern Florida. SECO members should see an increase in wind gusts from today through Thursday. Sustained tropical-storm-force winds may impact parts of the service territory Thursday night, especially from Inverness to Ocala northward in a 3 to 6-hour period (with higher winds if landfall is a weak Category 1 hurricane). There is a slim chance for tornadoes by Wednesday and Thursday.

 

SECO Energy is Storm Ready, Line Crews Working

 

SECO is Storm Ready – the cooperative has staged additional Operations and contractor personnel who are ready to respond to member concerns or service interruptions in the field quickly and safely. Our locally-based customer service staff is ready and available to respond to member inquiries in person, by phone or online. Members should ensure their smartphones/tablets are charged and report outages online through Storm Center. SECO has provided an emergency checklist for members.

 

As a not-for-profit electric cooperative, SECO is dedicated to being its members’ first source for accurate storm information. “Like” SECO’s Facebook page and “follow” the company on Twitter to stay updated about storms affecting your area. For members who rely on back-up generators during storm season, remember to read and follow all manufacturer’s safety warnings. Learn more about generator safety here.

SECO News, September 2016

SECO News, Duncan's Digest, February 2016

Conduct a Home Energy Assessment Online

 

Your happiness with SECO Energy is dependent on low rates, high reliability and help managing your energy use to keep your bills low. As a not-for-profit electric cooperative, we’re one of those rare companies that actually want you to use less of our product. So to help you identify energy-wasters in your home, SECO has developed an online Home Energy Assessment. By answering a short series of questions in four quick steps, you’ll input simple answers that allows SECO to send you an email – within minutes – that provides low-cost and no-cost energy-saving tools and tips to cut down on your usage – thus lowering your electric bill.

 

The Home Energy Assessment is easy. There’s no math to do and all you need to start is your electric bill to input your account number. Take the Home Energy Assessment today and start saving money and energy. The email you receive comes in checklist format, giving you a step-by-step path to lowering your bill.

 

SECO Energy, SECO News September 2016, Duncan's Digest - Take the Home Energy Assessment survey today

 

Find the Home Energy Assessment here. If you’re not so tech savvy and rely more on pencil and paper, just give us a call and we’ll mail the assessment to you. If you’re looking for a way to save big money, visit our Facebook page for the latest trivia contest. Not only could you win a $300 bill credit, you’ll have access to real-time outage and restoration information, the latest energy-efficiency gadget news, community outreach projects and more..

 

 

SECO Stands Storm Ready

 

Storm Ready

 

We are mid-way through the 2016 Atlantic hurricane season. Hopefully, Floridians will dodge the hurricane and tropical storm bullet again this year, but the month of September is often the most active of the season, so we shall see. Even though Tropical Storm Colin (the earliest third named storm in the Atlantic in recorded history) is the only tropical event that made landfall so far this year, SECO remains vigilant and Storm Ready.

 

SECO’s Operations employees stand ready to respond to outages 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. SECO’s local customer service team is available to answer member phone calls (and emails) and assist members in one of our five convenient office locations. Members can interact with our Communications team live on social media for outage information, weather affecting our area and cooperative updates. Also, visit our Storm Preparedness to review our Emergency Preparation Checklist with your family so you can stay safe and Storm Ready!

 

 

 

Bill Enhancement

 

When you open your bill, the new graph will make it easy to track usage on a monthly basis and know if you used more or less energy the same month the previous year.

 

Members can also track energy usage through SmartHub, SECO’s online account management tool. Access SmartHub on your computer, tablet or smartphone to view or pay a current bill, review a previous bill, compare yearly or monthly energy use, update your mailing address or phone numbers and view SECO’s social media feeds. Visit My Account and register for SmartHub today.

 

SECO Energy, SECO News September 2016, Bill Enhancement

 

 

SECO Energy, SECO News September 2016, Top 10 Safety Tips for Kids

 

Safety Corner: Top 10 Kids’ Safety Tips

 

Electricity is everywhere. It lights our homes, charges our phones, runs our appliances and powers our quality of life. But electricity can be dangerous. Explain to your kids how electricity works and warn them why it’s important to follow these safety tips.

  1. Never put fingers, toys or other objects in an electrical outlet
  2. Keep metal objects out of toasters
  3. Never use anything with a cord or plug around water
  4. Never pull a plug from an outlet by its cord
  5. Stay away from substations and power lines
  6. Never fly kites or climb trees near power lines
  7. Never place your drinks on top of electronics
  8. Stay away from broken or fallen power lines
  9. Never touch big, green metal transformer boxes
  10. Obey warning signs on power poles, substations and transformer boxes

 

 

SECO News May 2016, Winner Winner! $300 Electric Bill Credit!

 

Facebook Trivia Winners

 

Congratulations SECO Energy member Craig McDade of Belleview who correctly answered our three surge trivia questions on Facebook. Craig was randomly selected as our winner of the $300 bill credit. Eric Schwab from Leesburg is the winner of the Kindle Fire and Eleanor Newton, also from Leesburg, is the winner of a $25 restaurant gift card. Congratulations Craig, Eric and Eleanor!

 

“Like” SECO’s Facebook page and “follow” us on Twitter for future chances to win. Not tech savvy? Look for the last six digits of your account number in this month’s SECO News for a chance to win a $25 restaurant gift card. Call or email us if your number appears. Good luck!

 

 

SECO Energy, September 2016, Co-op Votes, Join today

 

 

SECO Energy, Expressions

 

Expressions

I would just like to say thank you for the opportunity you gave me in receiving your scholarship, and for seeing something in me. With this I will have a greater chance in succeeding in everything I want to do in college, and for that I am extremely thankful. I would also like to thank all of SECO for the celebration we had with all of the winners as it was a very enjoyable time for my mom and I.

Once again thank you for everything.
Raul Bayas
Ocala, FL

 

I wish to express my utmost gratitude to you for choosing me as a recipient of the 2016 SECO Scholarship. By providing such an award you are furthering my academic success in the future by allowing me to focus whole-heartedly on my studies. I cannot adequately express my thanks for not only what you have done for me, but many students before and after me who would be far less likely to succeed if it weren’t for people like you.

Thank you,
Cayley Buckner
Ocala, FL

 

Read the full September 2016 SECO News here.