Amanda Richardson – Page 16

SECO Energy’s Pennies Program Donates $3,485 to the American Cancer Society

SECO Energy’s Pennies from Heaven program recently donated $3,485 to the American Cancer Society. From October 1 through November 15, for every new SECO Energy member who enrolled in SECO’s Surge MitiGator surge protection program, the not-for-profit electric cooperative pledged to donate $5 from the Pennies from Heaven program to a local chapter of the American Cancer Society. A total of 697 SECO members enrolled during that timeframe and resulted in a $3,485 donation.

The American Cancer Society is dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem. The organization is taking action to battle a disease that has affected millions. In the United States, 600,000 die of cancer each year. The organization funds and conducts cancer research, supports cancer patients, shares expert information and cancer prevention tips to help people live longer – and better. Learn how you can donate or volunteer at the American Cancer Society.

CEO Jim Duncan stated, “Thank you, members, who donated spare change to our Pennies from Heaven program. Those extra pennies allow SECO to contribute to worthy causes in our service area. While the vast majority of Pennies from Heaven funding is allocated for bill payment assistance and educational initiatives for our members, I am pleased that we can support our local American Cancer Society to help in the fight against cancer.”

Although the Pennies from Heaven fundraiser is over, members can still enroll in the surge protection program. Take the bite out damaging surges and spikes with the Surge MitiGator. Power surges are caused by lightning, vehicles crashing into utility poles, small animals, birds or fallen trees.

SECO’s made in the USA meter-based surge arrester reduces surges BEFORE they enter your home through the meter. The Surge MitiGator has a beastly 15-year warranty and is designed to protect your home’s large-motor appliances. Household appliances and sensitive electronics such as televisions and computers can be damaged or destroyed by power surges and also require point-of-use devices for adequate protection.

Lease the MitiGator for only $5.95 plus tax per month plus a $25 installation fee. The purchase price ranges from $349 to $399, with installation included. Visit our Surge MitiGator website section to learn more about the program, to read the warranty and to complete the web form to enroll.

The Pennies from Heaven program rounds up monthly SECO bills to the nearest dollar and uses the spare pennies to fund member bill payment assistance and local, worthy causes. Visit Pennies from Heaven and complete the web form to enroll. Conversely, members who need help paying their bill should visit SECOEnergy.com and click on the “Find Bill Payment Help” banner. Use the interactive map to locate a social service agency that receives Pennies from Heaven funding from SECO Energy.

“Like” SECO’s Facebook page and “follow” @SECOEnergy on Twitter for news releases and cooperative updates.

Gresco Partnership Pays Capital Credits to SECO Energy

SECO Energy has a long-standing partnership with fellow not-for-profit cooperative Gresco Utility Supply that benefits SECO members in the form of Capital Credits. Gresco’s Senior Vice President of Supplier Relationships Todd McLellan presented CEO Jim Duncan with a check for $336,327 that represents SECO’s share of Gresco’s current Capital Credit retirement cycle.

Gresco Utility Supply was formed by 15 electric cooperatives in 1960. SECO Energy is one of Gresco’s member-owners and earns allocated margins annually from Gresco based on that year’s supply purchases. Gresco has grown from a small cooperative serving the southeastern region into a supply-chain partner with a diverse portfolio that includes products and services in lighting, tools, telecom, solar, EV charging stations and unmanned aircraft systems.

McLellan values SECO’s partnership with Gresco and stated, “SECO Energy is a valued partner of Gresco Utility Supply. We are thankful for our continued relationship with a large and fast-growing cooperative like SECO Energy. A cooperative principle is Cooperation among Cooperatives and is a foundation of both Gresco and SECO’s business models. Cooperatives doing business with other – like -minded cooperatives – makes sense.”

SECO Energy CEO Duncan stated, “Central Florida communities are growing at an astounding pace and SECO Energy is welcoming new members every day. Having a valued supply-chain partner like Gresco enables SECO to procure the construction material we need to meet the growing demand for new services. Gresco also aids in securing material needed to expand and upgrade SECO’s existing electric infrastructure. Gresco is our valued partner and we’re honored to be a member-owner of the cooperative.”

Gresco is SECO Energy’s premier supply partner. SECO Energy’s equity in the company is now over $12,776,000 million making it one of Gresco’s largest member-owners by equity.

As a not-for-profit electric cooperative, SECO Energy also returns a portion of its margins in the form of Capital Credits to current and former members. With the Board of Trustees’ approval, current members received their Capital Credits retirement on their November billing statement.

To learn more about Capital Credits, visit SECOEnergy.com>Your Co-op>Capital Credits. “Like” SECO’s Facebook page and “follow” @SECOEnergy on Twitter for news releases and cooperative updates.

November 2021 Sunshine State Stats

Central Florida felt its first winter-like temperatures in November 2021. The average high temperature reached 76 degrees, while the average low reached only 56 degrees. The average temperature for the month was a cool 66 degrees which is 12 degrees lower than the previous month.

In November 2021, the highest daily temperature recorded was 85 degrees, which is 10 degrees lower than the highest recorded temp in October 2021. The lowest recorded temperature this month was 45 degrees, which is 12 degrees lower than the lowest temp recorded in October 2021. Rainfall increased this month to measure 3.61 inches and is above November’s average of 2.53 inches.

The Atlantic hurricane season officially ended on November 30, with Central Florida remaining unscathed for the season.

Members may notice their energy usage for November 2021 increase slightly from October 2021 if you’re running the heat on chilly mornings/evenings. Daily temperatures that reach into the 80s and chilly mornings in the 40s, along with Florida’s humidity mean HVACs will run for longer periods of time and more frequently to keep temperatures stable inside the home. Wide daily temperature fluctuations also increase HVAC usage. In November 2021, the largest daily temperature fluctuation was 30 degrees.

December forecast:

The Old Farmer’s Almanac predicts winter in Florida will be colder than usual. Prepare for the most frigid temperatures to begin in mid-December and continue into early February. Precipitation will also be above average.

With temperatures running colder than average, your HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) unit may run longer and more frequently this year than in previous years. Now is the time to schedule an HVAC service call with a licensed technician. Read December 2021 SECO News to learn more about scheduling a winter HVAC service.

For December 2021, The Old Farmer’s Almanac predicts the temperature will average 62 degrees for the month, which is 1 degree below average. Precipitation is forecast to be 3 inches above average. Look for daily highs in the low 80s to low 70s with lows dipping into the low 50s.

Take the bite out of damaging surges and spikes with SECO Energy’s Surge MitiGator surge protection. Our meter-based surge arrester protects large appliances by reducing surges BEFORE they enter the meter. Learn more about the Surge MitiGator.

To check historical usage, log into SmartHub to view past bills and consumption charts. 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 News December 2021

Happy Trails, J.D.!

Dear Members,

I announced my retirement from SECO Energy earlier this year after 43 years of service. Time has flown, and this major life change is bittersweet and much more emotional than I’d ever anticipated. Much has changed over the last four decades, but growth has been the constant since our founding in 1938.

When I came onboard as SECO’s Finance Director in 1979, our meter count totaled 36,823. In my first CEO Report at the 1991 Annual Meeting, I reported our meter count increased to 66,000 – a 44 percent increase in membership. In 1999, we reached the 100,000-meter milestone.

At the end of 2017, we surpassed the milestone of energizing our 200,000th meter. As I write this farewell address, the company’s infrastructure value has just surpassed the $1 billion mark. The growth isn’t slowing down. In fact, The Villages recently earned the title as the fastest growing metropolitan area in the nation over the last decade with a Sumter County growth rate of 39%. Lake and Marion counties’ growth rates continue to climb at 29% and 13%, respectively. That kind of growth is rare in a not-for-profit electric utility business model and it’s one of the milestones that I am most proud of as I take my last walk from the building on January 3.

Over the course of the four decades, our cooperative’s employee giving campaigns have raised more than $1 million for our local United Ways to improve quality of life for the members in our service territory. Our Pennies from Heaven program is a program whereby members enroll to have their bills rounded up to the nearest dollar. The extra change is donated to the Pennies fund and the funds are used for bill payment assistance for our members and other worthy causes. The Pennies program has generated millions of dollars in our local area to help SECO members.

As a Marine, I’m proud that we annually support the Toys for Tots campaign. We are a company of employees who have made a difference in the lives of others through not only their financial generosity, but also in their commitment to ensuring that you receive the most reliable, affordable electric service possible.

Pinnacle examples of member satisfaction with our employees’ efforts are reflected in the three J.D Power awards we earned in 2015, 2016 and 2017. We’ve also been recognized by our members through increasing ACSI (American Customer Satisfaction Index) ratings with a record-high 91 in 2020. We are both a statewide and national frontrunner in ASCI rankings.

I spent the last decade building a leadership team that has made it possible to reach these milestones under Board of Trustee leadership that supported our ability to meet the ever-growing demand for power with cost controls that preserve low rates for members. Over the last two years, the COVID challenge placed unprecedented strain on our ability to operate safely and efficiently but our employees persevered. Still, I am retiring at a time when supply chain challenges threaten utilities’ ability to keep up with a growing population of new residents and businesses that are moving to Florida for not only the lifestyle but the economic prosperity.

The incoming CEO-elect Curtis Wynn is supported by a leadership team and 400 employees who he can count on to help him continue the legacy. It has been my distinct pleasure and privilege to lead this company and the membership who deserve our commitment to affordable, reliable electric service and our StormReady approach during hurricane season.

We hold up under crisis and are the fastest utility to recover even when hurricanes sweep right through the middle of the state. I can’t begin to explain how proud I am to have been at the helm and this goodbye is the toughest thing I have had to muster in my career. Thank you for letting me spend 43 years of life in service to you and our employees. It’s been my honor.

Sincerely,

Jim Duncan

Chief Executive Officer

ADVICE FROM THE OLD FARMER’S ALMANAC

The Old Farmer’s Almanac explains how to figure out cooling and heating degree days. To determine a cooling degree day, use the base temperature of 65 degrees. Every day the temperature reaches 65 degrees is a cooling day. For every degree over 65, adds one cooling degree. On a day that the mean temperature reaches 85 degrees, the cooling degrees would be 20.

To figure heating degree days, take the same base of 65 degrees, and subtract the mean daily temperature. For example, if a day’s high temperature was 50 degrees and the low was 40 degrees, the mean high is 45 degrees. This would give you 20 heating degree days.

Do you have cheimatophobia, frigophobia, or psychrophobia (fear of cold)? Be sure to read page 3 and schedule an HVAC service before winter temps arrive in Central Florida.

DON’T BE LEFT IN THE COLD – SCHEDULE A WINTER HVAC SERVICE

With temperatures running colder than average, your HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) unit may run longer this year than in previous years. Now is the time to schedule an HVAC service call with a licensed technician.

During a service call, the technician should thoroughly inspect your HVAC to ensure it’s in good running condition. The system may need to be cleaned or serviced. HVAC units that are serviced regularly function more efficiently and use less energy to heat (or cool) your home resulting in lower energy costs.

Preventative maintenance helps extend the life of your HVAC unit and avoid unexpected, costly repair bills. Complete at-home maintenance such as checking for leaks and removing dirt or debris away from external components proactively. Set a calendar reminder to change your unit’s air filter monthly or follow the manufacturer’s suggested filter change schedule.

For more energy-efficiency tools, visit our Energy Efficiency page. Our Home Energy Assessment is an online energy audit that provides energy-efficiency advice tailored to your home’s features and lifestyle. The Energy Estimator calculates the amount of energy used and associated costs for electronics, appliances and almost anything that uses electricity in your home. Submit with an email address to receive low-cost energy-efficiency tips specific to your home.

SECO ENERGY UNITED WAY PLEDGES REACH $1 MILLION

Since 2004, SECO Energy employees have participated in yearly employee-led United Way Pledge Drives to benefit our local communities. For the 2022 United Way Pledge Drive, our employees pledged $50,282.

With our 2022 pledge total, SECO employees’ total pledges have now surpassed the one-million-dollar milestone to reach $1,041,766!

Employees choose the county that receives their donations. Most of our employees live in Sumter, Lake, Marion and Citrus Counties.

Lake & Sumter Counties………………………………….$21,392
Marion County………………………………………………..$16,075
Citrus County……………………………………………………$7,043
Other Counties (listed below)……………………………$5,772
Gilchrist, Hernando, Levy, Orange, Pasco and Polk
TOTAL $50,282

Do you want to give back to your local community and have pennies to spare? Enroll in SECO Energy’s Pennies from Heaven program and agree to have your bill rounded up to the nearest dollar each month. We donate the extra pennies for worthy causes in our service area or member bill payment assistance.

Enroll in Pennies from Heaven today and change lives. Visit SECOEnergy.com > Your Co-Op > Pennies from Heaven and complete the enrollment web form.

WINNERS CIRCLE

Engage with our virtual assistant Electra on the phone for a chance to win a $25 gift card. Winners who self-served using Electra are:

Claudia Bryce from Summerfield

James Burdick from Eustis

Ricardo Valdes from The Villages

Eileen Bennett from Clermont

The latest winner of a SECO Energy Level 2 EV Charger is Gary Chevillet from The Villages.To enter, text “EV” to (352) 320-4500 for a link to enter. Or click on the EV Charger Giveaway homepage banner. Visit our Electric Vehicles website section to learn more about the benefits of owning an EV.

Winners in our Go Green and Win: Paperless Billing and Bank Draft Incentive

Daniel Cahya from Ocala is the winner of a $200 SECO Energy bill credit.

Dean Woodle from Leesburg is the winner of a NEST thermostat.

Juanita McLean from The Villages is the winner of an Amazon Echo Dot with Alexa.

Congratulations to our recent winners!

Read the full December 2021 SECO News online.

SECO Energy Board of Trustees Selects New CEO

SECO Energy’s Board of Trustees recently voted to hire a new CEO to step into the shoes of retiring CEO Jim Duncan, who led the cooperative as CEO for most of his long and distinguished 43-year tenure. SECO Energy currently provides electric service to 220,000 homes and businesses across seven counties in fast-growing Central Florida. SECO Energy is a J.D. Power award-winning electric utility and is a frontrunner statewide and nationally with the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI).

The candidate selected by the Board of Trustees from both internal executives and external applicants is Mr. Curtis Wynn who has been the President and CEO of Roanoke Electric Cooperative in North Carolina since 1997, a not-for-profit electric utility that serves 14,000 members. Prior to that, Mr. Wynn was the Vice President of Member Services, Information Technology, Marketing and Economic Development from 1981 to 1997 at West Florida Electric Cooperative. Mr. Wynn steps in at SECO Energy in time to transition into Jim Duncan’s departure date of January 3, 2022.

Mr. Wynn is married with three children and is a graduate of Troy University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration & Management Information Systems. With nearly 42 years of experience in the electric cooperative industry, Mr. Wynn’s resume reflects a long list of awards and accomplishments showing a history of supporting creative solutions that are turning the challenges of the energy industry evolution into major opportunities.

Mr. Wynn also serves or has served on a variety of boards including: immediate past board president, National Rural Electric Cooperatives Association (NRECA); past president, vice president and secretary-treasurer of North Carolina Electric Membership Cooperative; board member, North Carolina’s Association of Electric Cooperatives; board member, Meridian Cooperative (formerly Southeastern Data Cooperative – SEDC); and past nominating committee member, CoBank.

SECO Energy is a not-for-profit electric cooperative, operated for and owned by its members. SECO’s nine-member Board of Trustees consists of members who live in SECO’s service area. They are elected to oversee the governance of the cooperative. Each Trustee on the Board is elected by the members who reside in his/her District. Collectively, the Trustees are responsible for establishing, reviewing and revising corporate policies to ensure that SECO continues to preserve reliable, affordable service for all members.

SECO Energy Board of Trustees President Richard Dennison stated, “Welcome, Mr. Wynn. Our expectation is that you continue the extremely successful legacy that CEO Jim Duncan nurtured throughout his career with SECO Energy and to see our cooperative into the future supporting our strategic goal of providing affordable, reliable electric service.”

To view brief bios of SECO Energy’s Board of Trustees and a District boundaries map, visit SECOEnergy.com>Your Co-op>Board of Trustees. “Like” SECO’s Facebook page and “follow” @SECOEnergy on Twitter for news releases and cooperative updates.

October 2021 Sunshine State Stats

Fall-like temperatures arrived in Central Florida in October 2021. Cooler morning and nighttime temperatures dipped into the 60s and 70s, while daily highs continued to peak at over 90 degrees. The average temperature for the month was a balmy 78 degrees which is 5 degrees lower than the previous month.

In October 2021, the highest daily temperature recorded was 95 degrees, which is the same as the highest recorded temp in September 2021. The lowest recorded temperature this month was 57 degrees, which 10 degrees lower than the lowest temp recorded in September 2021. Rainfall decreased this month to measure 2.74 inches and is only slightly above October’s average of 2.54 inches.

The average high temperature in October 2021 was 88 degrees, and the average low temperature was 69.

As a reminder, the Atlantic hurricane season runs through November 30. It is best to remain vigilant and prepared in the event a late-season tropical storm or hurricane turns our way before the end of the season.

Although the average monthly temperature and average low and high temperatures have decreased from September 2021, daily temperatures are still warm. Members may notice their energy usage for October 2021 will be slightly less than their usage from September 2021 – unless you’re already running the heat on chilly mornings/evenings. Warm daily temperatures and Florida’s humidity mean HVACs will run for longer periods of time and more frequently to keep the temperatures cool inside. Daily temperature fluctuations also increase HVAC usage.

November forecast:

The Old Farmer’s Almanac predicts November temperatures will average 66 degrees for the month, which is 5 degrees below average. This means your heating may be operating more frequently than it did last year at this time. Precipitation is forecast to be 1 inch above average. Look for daily highs in the low 80s to high 70s with lows in the low 60s and high 50s.

Before winter temperatures arrive, consider scheduling an HVAC tune-up. Regular maintenance helps your unit run more efficiently and can diagnose small issues before they become bigger problems.

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

Florida Fauna & Flora – Red Fox

Red foxes are the size of a small dog and weigh 10 to 15 pounds. Not including their long, bushy tails, they measure about 2 feet long. Red foxes have red hair that varies from rust-colored to golden-red, white bellies, black ear tips and legs. Their hairy, red, bushy tails usually have a white tip.

This fox is primarily nocturnal, but you may find it feeding during the day. It is most active at dawn and dusk. Its diet includes rabbits, mice and rats. It may kill more than it can eat and bury the extra for a later meal.

Red fox pairs usually mate for life. Breeding takes place in late fall or winter, with gestation lasting 53 days. An average of 5 blind, helpless pups are born per litter that nurse for 2 months and live and learn from adults for about 6 months.

Red foxes are a naturalized but not native Florida animal. A naturalized animal has moved into an area and adapted, created a stable or expanding population, and does not require aid for survival or reproduction.

Fun Fauna Fact: Gray foxes are often confused with red foxes because much of their hair is red. Red foxes are found in fields and weedy pastures, while gray foxes are more often found in heavily wooded areas.

Source: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

Read the full November 2021 SECO News online.

SECO News November 2021

Just in time for the Christmas season, SECO Energy members are cashing in on Capital Credits. At the September Trustees’ Meeting, your Board approved another record-high Capital Credit retirement of $6.46 million to current and former members. Your Capital Credit retirement amount appears on your November billing statement.

SECO Energy was founded as Sumter Electric Cooperative, Inc. in 1938. Since then, the cooperative has regularly retired/returned a portion of the cooperative’s equity to current and former members. In our 83 years in business, we have retired almost $80 million to current and former members.

Capital Credits is a concept that is unique to not-for-profit, cooperatively structured businesses. I have often talked about the differences between being a customer of an investor-owned or a municipal utility versus a cooperative member. Capital Credits is one of those differences.

Your monthly energy purchases build patronage capital. You and your fellow 220,000+ cooperative members own a portion of SECO’s equity. Ownership is defined through the annual process of allocating each member’s share of the co-op’s margins from the prior year. Individual Capital Credit allocations represent the percentage of the yearly amount of electric service purchased by each member.

Capital Credits are the accumulation of all prior years’ revenues after the co-op’s operating costs and expenses are paid. These credits are allocated on a pro-rata basis to each SECO member’s account as Capital Credits. Annually, SECO examines the cooperative’s financial position and makes a recommendation to the Board of Trustees on the “retirement” of Capital Credits. This year’s $6.46 million retirement means SECO is returning a portion of the cooperative’s equity to current and former members.

Look for a line item labeled “Capital Credit Ret” on your November billing statement. Active commercial account members with retirements over $600 will receive a check. Former members who receive a retirement over $10 will receive a check. If you move out of SECO’s service area, keep your mailing address updated so we can mail future Capital Credit retirements to your new address.

In the latest figures from the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), cooperatives power 56% of the nation’s landmass, including 2.7 million miles of electric distribution lines in 48 states. We are among over 900 electric distribution and generation and transmission cooperatives working together to maintain reliable, safe, affordable power to our local communities. That’s the cooperative difference.

SECO Energy members are more than just customers – they are owners as well. Thank you for your SECO Energy membership.

Sincerely,

Jim Duncan

Chief Executive Officer

ADVICE FROM THE OLD FARMER’S ALMANAC

Watch the 2021 – 2022 winter skies for amazing views of faraway planets. The Old Farmer’s Almanac recommends watching for Venus at its most brilliant in the early evening hours during December. Look for Venus, the Moon, Saturn and Jupiter coming together as a group during the month. Mercury will make its brightest appearance during the holidays. Catch glimpses of Mars in early January next to the crescent moon in the early morning hours. In February, Mars will be a dim orange below a twinkling Venus in the predawn hours. 2022 promises a year filled with eclipses bringing excitement to the morning and nighttime skies!

While you’re out stargazing in the evenings, be on the lookout for nocturnal animals. Read more about red foxes that are active, nocturnal animals on page 4.

TOYS FOR TOTS

SECO Energy employees are playing Santa Claus again this year with our annual corporate Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots drive. Members are invited to join us in spreading Christmas cheer by donating a new, unwrapped toy for Toys for Tots. During November, our five Member Service Centers in Eustis, Groveland, Inverness, Ocala or Sumterville serve as public drop-off locations.

For many years, SECO employees have been incredibly generous in supporting Toys for Tots. Friendly competition has sprung up between offices and departments to collect the most bikes, trikes and toys. To bolster our corporate giving, SECO’s Pennies from Heaven program has pledged a $5,000 donation this year to complement our employees’ Toys for Tots donations.

SECO Energy’s Pennies from Heaven program rounds up members’ bills to the nearest dollar. The donated pennies help members who need bill payment assistance or donations for local charitable causes such as Toys for Tots. If you would like to join your fellow cooperative members in making a difference in our communities one penny at a time, visit SECOEnergy.com > Your Co-op > Pennies from Heaven to enroll in the program. Thank you in advance for your generosity.

Since 1947, Toys for Toys has been making a difference in the lives of families. Retired Marines and other volunteers operate Toys for Tots. Volunteers pick up donations and distribute the toys to children in need. All donated toys stay local and are distributed in the area they were donated.

Members who would like to register to receive toys donated through Toys for Tots can visit www.ToysforTots.org. Application dates vary by location.

WINNERS CIRCLE

Engage with our virtual assistant Electra on the phone for a chance to win a $25 gift card. Winners who self-served using Electra are:

Leanna Hersey from Floral City

Linda Hodgson from Leesburg

Cherilyn Glass from Lady Lake

Conrad Penchion from Ocala

Phyllis Jones from Tavares

The latest winner of a SECO Energy Level 2 EV Charger is Ann White from Inverness. To enter, text “EV” to (352) 320-4500 for a link to enter. Or click on the EV Charger Giveaway homepage banner. Visit our Electric Vehicles website section to learn more about the benefits of owning an EV.

Winners in our Go Green and Win: Paperless Billing and Bank Draft Incentive

Jer-Shang Lin from Clermont is the winner of a $200 SECO Energy bill credit.

Alexandra Betancourt from Mascotte is the winner of a NEST thermostat.

Rebecca McCorkle from Bushnell is the winner of an Amazon Echo Dot with Alexa.

Congratulations to William Heinmiller from Clermont and Mauricio Trinidad from The Villages are the two winners of our EV Virtual Video Showcase drawing! To view the video, visit SECOEnergy.com > Energy Solutions > EV Virtual Showcase. The winners’ names were drawn from the list of all members who entered.

Congratulations to our recent winners!

Our winner of the generator whose name was draw in September is Rosendo Orozco from Summerfield – drawn from the list of all members enrolled in SECO Energy’s Surge MitiGator surge protection program.

Read the full November 2021 SECO News online.

September 2021 Sunshine State Stats

Fall arrived in September 2021 and temperatures began to cool off slightly. Don’t get out your heavy jacket yet. Winter temperatures are still months away and daily highs are still hitting over 90 degrees.

In September 2021, the highest daily temperature recorded was 95 degrees, which is 4 degrees lower than the highest recorded temp in August 2021. The lowest recorded temperature this month was 67 degrees, which 6 degrees lower than the lowest temp recorded in August 2021. Rainfall increased from last month by a very small amount to measure 4.9 inches and is below September’s average of 5.76 inches.

September is the peak of hurricane season, while the month was active with tropical storm and hurricane activity, Central Florida remained clear of named-storm activity. As a reminder, the Atlantic hurricane season runs through November 30. It is best to remain vigilant and prepared in the event a late-season tropical storm or hurricane turns our way before the end of the season.

For September 2021 the average temperature was 83 degrees, which is one degree higher than the average temperature in September 2020. The average high temperature in September 2021 was 91 degrees, and the average low temperature was 74.

Although the average monthly temperature and average low and high temperatures have decreased slightly from August 2021, daily temperatures are still warm. Members may notice their energy usage for September 2021 will be similar to their usage from August 2021. Warm daily temperatures and Florida’s humidity mean HVACs will run for longer periods of time and more frequently to keep the temperatures cool inside. Daily temperature fluctuations also increase HVAC usage.

October forecast:

The October forecast shows a slight cool down in daily high temperatures to the high 80s and low 90s. Lows will be in the high 60s and low 70s. The rainy season is coming to a close, the best chance for rain is the possibility of scattered thunderstorms that bring lightning and wind during the first half of the month.

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

Florida Fauna & Flora – Southeastern American Kestrel

A native Florida raptor, the southeastern American kestrel is the smallest falcon found in the United States. Its white face has black “tears” extending down from its eyes. Its brown back has black flecking, its belly is white and its tail is russet. The male’s wings have bluish-gray markings, while the female’s wings are a less colorful brown.

Kestrels’ raise up to four chicks per nesting season which is early spring to June. They nest in holes in dead trees or cavities made by pileated woodpecker. Their habitat includes open woodlands, sandhills and pine savannahs, but alternate habitats in residential areas are pastures and open fields. Nest boxes have become an essential artificial substitute.

Kestrels feed on insects and small mammals. They perch up high to find their prey and then fly in to catch a meal with their feet.

The southeastern American kestrel is listed on Florida’s Threatened Species List. Kestrels are threatened by the loss of habitat, pollutants and collisions with vehicles and aircraft.

Fun Fauna Fact: The kestrels found in May and June are southeastern American kestrels that live in Florida year-round. The northern American kestrel is a true Florida snowbird. This subspecies migrates here from September through April.

Source: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

Read the full October 2021 SECO News online.

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Archive

ADVICE FROM THE OLD FARMER’S ALMANAC

DON’T BE LEFT IN THE COLD – SCHEDULE A WINTER HVAC SERVICE

SECO ENERGY UNITED WAY PLEDGES REACH $1 MILLION

WINNERS CIRCLE

Florida Fauna & Flora – Red Fox

ADVICE FROM THE OLD FARMER’S ALMANAC

TOYS FOR TOTS

WINNERS CIRCLE

Florida Fauna & Flora – Southeastern American Kestrel

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