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Month: September 2023

SECO Energy Lowers Members’ Bills

SECO Energy CEO Curtis Wynn announced a significant reduction to residential members’ monthly energy bills that will appear on bills arriving in October to reflect September usage. The adjustment, known formally as the Power Cost Adjustment (PCA), will result in average bills totaling their lowest cost in the last five years. 

  

SECO Energy coined the term, “Hot Bucks,” to refer to opportunities the not-for-profit cooperative electric provider acts upon to lower members’ bills. The recent stabilization of natural gas pricing has led to lower wholesale electricity costs from SECO’s wholesale provider of electricity, Seminole Electric Cooperative.  

 

In coordination with Seminole’s projections, SECO’s Board of Trustees approved changing the PCA to lower its members’ bills. The Hot Bucks credit will reduce SECO Energy’s cost for residential service per 1,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) from $146.60 to $116.60 with bills generating as of October 1.  

  

utility cost comparison 9/2023

SECO Energy CEO, Curtis Wynn, stated, “SECO is dedicated to returning value to its members when possible. ‘Hot Bucks’ are a direct reflection of the price variation the cooperative pays for power purchased from Seminole Electric Cooperative. Natural gas is the main fuel source for power generation and a continued downward trend in price is projected as we move into the autumn months. Our Mission, as a not-for-profit cooperative is to provide reliable and innovative energy services to our members and communities. Ensuring affordable energy service is a key component to fulfilling our role as a trusted source for energy solutions.” 

  

The reduction is displayed as a line item on members’ monthly billing statement beginning October 1 to reflect prior period usage from September. 

 

Both SECO and Seminole are not-for-profit cooperatives that work closely to ensure the lowest rates possible for their members. When the wholesale cost of purchased power decreases, SECO passes those savings along to its members. This reduction places SECO Energy’s cost per kWh lower than the average Florida Investor-owned, Municipal and Cooperative utility. 

   

“Like” SECO Energy on Facebook and follow @SECOEnergy on Twitter for prize drawings, news releases, and severe weather alerts affecting SECO Energy’s service territory. Manage your outage notification preferences at StormCenter. To see when SECO Energy crews/contractors are working in your area, visit our new System Improvement Map. To learn more about SECO Energy as a not-for-profit cooperative, visit About SECO Energy.  

 

August 2023 Sunshine State Stats

In August 2023, the average high and low temperatures rose slightly from July’s figures. The average high temperature rose 2 degrees, to 94, and the average low inched 1 degree higher than July, settling at 76 degrees. Rainfall reported from Leesburg International Airport (KLEE) decreased significantly from the month prior.  

 

Central Florida escaped much of Hurricane Idalia’s impact, which devastated coastal areas north of SECO Energy’s service territory. While measurable precipitation occurred on only 10 of 31 days, late afternoon thunderstorm activity maintained its presence throughout the month. August 2023 rainfall totaled 4.69 inches, 3.59 inches less than the total rainfall in July. 

 

August 2023 Sunshine State Stats temps

 

The average temperature for August 2023 was 85 degrees (1 degree higher than last month’s average), yet the daily high temps hit 90 degrees or above on all but one day. The highest daily recorded temperature (data from the Leesburg KLEE weather station) in August was 98 degrees and the lowest was 73 – matching the highest daily recorded temperature in July, and exceeding July’s lowest by 1 degree.   

 

For most of August, the entire state of Florida was under heat advisories or excessive-heat warnings. As the heat index in many parts of Central Florida topped 110 degrees, on Sunday, August 13, SECO Energy recorded an instantaneous system peak of 984.3 megawatts at 5:00 p.m. This peak load shattered the previous record of 949 set in July 2023. 

 

HVAC is the largest energy user in Central Florida homes, accounting for an average of 35 to 40% of kWh usage. This next month may be a good time to consider revisiting your thermostat settings to take advantage of savings opportunities presented by moderating temperatures. The energy-efficient thermostat setting during hotter months is 78 degrees and during colder months it is 68 degrees.

 

What are Cooling/Heating Degree Days? 

Cooling Degree Day (CDD) scores represent the difference between the mean temperature for a given day (the high temp + the low temp, divided by 2) and 65 degrees. A positive number represents a Cooling Degree Day and the higher the number, the further the mean temperature was from 65 degrees. In colder months, there are days where the difference between the mean temperature and 65 degrees is a negative number. This represents a Heating Degree Day (HDD). In August, the monthly CDD score was 628. By contrast, the April 2023 CDD was 292, while there were no HDDs recorded.

 

September forecast from The Old Farmer’s Almanac:  

The weather outlook for September 2023 indicates a monthly average temperature in the lower 80s with precipitation totals about 2 inches lower than average. Look for scattered showers and a few thunderstorms throughout the month with some noticeable periods of partly cloudy days mixed in. 

 

The Atlantic hurricane season enters its final two months, and the updated storm predictions from Colorado State University suggest we may still experience an “above-normal season.” Read the details in the September SECO News. 

 

Online Energy-Efficiency Tools  

Log into SmartHub to view past bills and consumption charts to check historical usage. If your usage is high, SECO offers several energy-efficiency tools to help you identify energy wasters. Take the Home Energy Assessment to receive a detailed email tailored to your home’s features and lifestyle. The energy-saving advice will provide low-cost ways to decrease your usage – and your electric bill. 

  

To easily calculate how much energy your appliances, lighting, electronic devices, and other energy-using items in your home consume, use the Energy Estimator. 

SECO Energy Joins Hurricane Idalia Restoration Effort

SECO Energy is lending a hand to a fellow Florida cooperative Tri-County Electric Cooperative in Madison. Tri-County’s service area was ravaged by Hurricane Idalia as it made landfall in the Big Bend area on Wednesday, August 30. When Tri-County put out the call for mutual aid from its fellow cooperatives, SECO Energy answered the call to join the restoration effort in the Panhandle. 

 

On Friday, September 1, a contingent of SECO Energy line employees, a superintendent, a supervisor and mechanic, left the Ocala Operations Center on their way to Tri-County Electric Cooperative. Tri-County serves almost 25,000 members in Jefferson, Madison and Taylor Counties. This area includes some of the most devastated areas in the state. Currently, almost 30,000 homes and businesses are without power in Tri-County Electric’s three-county service territory.  

 

Cooperation Among Cooperatives and Concern for Community are two of the Seven Cooperative Principles to which cooperatives adhere. Providing mutual aid in the form of experienced technicians and other resources is critical for restoring essential electric service to all residents affected by Hurricane Idalia.  

 

SECO Energy also released seven full-time Pike contract crews that are stationed at SECO to Suwannee Valley Electric Cooperative (SVEC) in Live Oak, Florida. SVEC serves more than 28,000 members in Columbia, Hamilton, Lafayette and Suwannee Counties. Over 40,000 members are waiting for power restoration in these four counties. 

 

CEO Curtis Wynn is pleased to assist SECO Energy’s cooperative peers. Wynn stated, “We are extremely thankful that SECO Energy’s service area and members were spared the brunt of Hurricane Idalia’s destruction. It is our privilege to assist both Tri-County Electric Cooperative and Suwannee Valley Electric Cooperative. When we asked for volunteers to travel to these hurricane-devastated areas, many of our team members volunteered quickly to assist.” 

 

“During major storm repairs, mutual aid is a tenet that leads our cooperative and others across the state. We are praying for our teams’ safety and that of all utility workers who are traveling and working to make Floridian’s lives better every day.” 

 

“Like” SECO Energy on Facebook and follow @SECOEnergy on X (formerly, Twitter) for news releases, and severe weather alerts affecting SECO Energy’s service territory. Manage your outage notification preferences at StormCenter. To see when SECO Energy crews and contractors are working in your area, visit the System Improvement map. To learn more about SECO Energy as a not-for-profit cooperative, visit SECOEnergy.com > Your Co-op > About. 

SECO News September 2023

Wynn's WireDear Members,

I have great news to share with you this month – Hot Bucks are back and reduce the residential bill to the lowest cost in the last five years! SECO Energy is happy to announce a significant reduction on your electric bill.

 

Hot Bucks (which is known formally as the PCA short for Power Cost Adjustment) will display as a line item on your monthly billing statement. The credit will appear on bills beginning October 1 to reflect prior period usage from September.

 

SECO’s Hot Bucks are a direct reflection of the price variation the cooperative pays for power purchased from Seminole Electric Cooperative. Natural gas is the main fuel source for power generation and a continued downward trend in price is projected as we move into the latter part of the summer.

 

Florida utility cost comparisonIn alignment with Seminole’s projections, SECO’s Board of Trustees approved changing the PCA to lower our members’ bills. Both SECO and Seminole are not-for-profit cooperatives that work closely to ensure the lowest rates possible for our members. When the wholesale cost of purchased power decreases, SECO passes those savings along to you.

 

The Hot Bucks credit will reduce SECO Energy’s cost for residential service per 1,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) from $146.60 to $116.60 with bills generating as of October 1. The chart below compares SECO Energy’s residential cost for 1,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) with other Florida utilities.

 

This reduction places SECO Energy’s cost per kWh in a competitive position: lower than the average Florida Investor-owned, Municipal and Cooperative utility.

 

Our Mission, as a not-for-profit cooperative is to provide reliable and innovative energy services to our members and communities. Ensuring affordable energy service is a key component to fulfilling our role as your trusted source for energy solutions.

 

Best regards,

 

Curtis Wynn
Chief Executive Officer

 

 

 

SECO News September 2023 Atlantic Hurricane Season Update

 

We have reached the mid-point of the Atlantic hurricane season (June 1 – November 30). In early April, experts from Colorado State University’s (CSU) Tropical Weather and Climate Research forecast below-average hurricane and tropical storm activity this season.

 

The outlook has changed in mid-season. CSU is now predicting “above-average” levels of named and major storms with 18 projected this year. Nine of these storms will develop into hurricanes and four will be major hurricanes.

 

Not only are we faced with the possibility of higher-than-average tropical storm and hurricane activity this year, but CSU experts also predict the probability of a major hurricane making landfall in the United States is above the historical long-term average. As a reminder, a major hurricane is a Category 3-5 with sustained winds of at least 111 mph or greater.

 

STORM CONDITIONS AT ODDS?

While this forecast creates concern, there are uncertainties as to how two major weather conditions may influence the storm activity we ultimately experience in Florida. The warmer-than- normal Atlantic Ocean waters and a particularly strong El Niño weather pattern are conflicting signals. The El Niño climate pattern often breaks up storms in the Atlantic and tropics, but researchers are unsure if this pattern will continue with the extremely warm ocean waters.

 

Hurricanes and tropical storms form most often in September, which is why now is a good time to refresh your emergency hurricane supplies if you haven’t done so. At the time of this column printing, this year’s storms include Tropical Storms Arlene, Bret and Cindy formed in June, and Subtropical Storm Don formed in July.

 

Remain indoors and prepare to wait out the weather safely during a storm. Crews are dispatched to begin restoration only after wind speeds are less than 35 mph. If you shelter away from home, assess your home to make sure it is safe before you return. For homes with damage, turn off your main breaker if it is safe to do so. If appliances are wet, turn off each appliance’s breaker and then unplug. Contact a licensed electrician for repairs.

 

Most important, focus on your family’s safety. Stock up on hurricane essentials – buy early. When a storm approaches supplies sell out quickly.

 

The SECO Energy Hurricane Handbook is your one-stop guide to being StormReady before, during and after a storm. Before a storm arrives, bookmark both our outage reporting and notifications platform StormCenter and our Daily Restoration Plan map on your smartphone or tablet. Find these tools at SECOEnergy.com.

 

 

 

SECO News September 2023 Emergency Operations A Message From Board of Trustees Secretary/Treasurer Morgan Hatfield

Visit your county’s EOC website and sign up for alerts from your local Emergency Operations Center (EOC) for resources such as shelter information, storm planning, evacuation orders and more.

 

To enroll in your county’s emergency alerts, visit www.FloridaDisaster.org. Enter the county or city and follow the enrollment link. Program your county’s number on your phone or bookmark the page in your smartphone for quick access.

 

MEDICALLY NECESSARY SERVICE AND SPECIAL NEEDS REGISTRY

 

Through the Florida Department of Health, persons with special needs can register with their local emergency management agency to receive assistance during a disaster. Visit www. FloridaDisaster.org to add your name or a loved one’s to the statewide registry.

 

Registering provides first responders with valuable information to prepare for disasters or other emergencies to meet citizens’ unique needs. Providing as much information as possible will allow emergency management officials to plan accordingly for future disasters. You will be emailed periodically to verify the information provided is correct and to make any necessary changes.

 

Unless you plan to seek shelter at an approved facility, back-up generation is critical if you are a member who relies on lifesaving medical equipment powered by electricity.

 

CITRUS COUNTY: SheriffCitrus.org > Emergency Management or (352) 249-2775

HERNANDO COUNTY: HernandoCounty.us > Departments > Emergency Management or (352) 754-4083

LAKE COUNTY: LakeCountyFL.gov > Services > Emergency Management or (352) 343-9420

SUMTER COUNTY: SumterCountyFL.gov > Government Services > Emergency Management or (352) 689-4400

LEVY COUNTY: LevyDisaster.com or (352) 486-5213

MARION COUNTY: MarionSo.com > Emergency Management or (352) 369-8100

PASCO COUNTY: PascoCountyFL.net > Live > Disaster Preparedness or (727) 847-8137

 

 

 

SECO Stands Storm Ready

 

Go to SECO Energy’s STORMCENTER to report an outage, check the status of an outage, see the estimated time of restoration, report an area light outage and manage your notifications.

SECO Energy StormCenter

 

 

Read the full September 2023 SECO News.