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Category: Company News

$36,000 in Scholarships Up For Grabs!

Central Florida, of course, is known as a haven for snowbirds but it might surprise you to know that 87 percent of SECO Energy members state that their SECO-served premise is their primary residence. It’s important to folks with kids and grandkids in this area that their loved ones have access to a quality education and good job prospects once they’re out of school.

 

SECO Energy is one of the largest employers in Sumter County and is the third largest electric cooperative in the state. CEO Jim Duncan stated, “Our utility is structured as a not-for-profit organization guided by the cooperative principles, so support for education and community needs are high priorities.”

 

The Board of Trustees recently approved the continuation of the SECO Energy Scholarship Program. Board President Ray Vick said, “The Board is proud to renew our commitment to the support of youth and continuing education in our community. These scholarships can be used for community college, a university or a technical/trade school, and we hope that some of these students have a career in their future at SECO Energy once they’re out of school.”

 

Applications for the 2016 program are now available at secoenergy.com, and graduating high school seniors are eligible to apply. Up to 12 hardworking seniors will each be selected to receive a $3,000 scholarship. To qualify, the student must live in a home served by SECO Energy, graduate from high school in 2016, and have proof of acceptance with a plan to be a full-time student in a university, accredited college or vocational/technical institute in 2016.

 

If you don’t have Internet access or a printer at home, application packets have been mailed to high school guidance counselors. Direct your student there or pick up an application from one of our five service center locations. Completed applications must be received by SECO Energy by 5 p.m. on Friday, March 25th. If you have questions about the scholarship program, contact us via our website or call (352) 569-9561.

Hot Bucks lowers members’ bills – again!

Over the last two years, SECO Energy has dropped the cost of electricity six times – which means lower bills for our members. The decrease appears in your Power Cost Adjustment or PCA – one of the line item components on your bill representing positive reductions in our cost of power.

 

Reducing the PCA allows for a higher credit on your bill. The latest reduction equates to a 9.5% decrease over the past 24 months. As of Dec. 1, 2015, our residential cost per kilowatt hour dropped to $115.60 based on 1,000 kWh used. This decrease shows that SECO Energy members pay one of the lowest residential rates in Central Florida.

 

This electric bill reduction reinforces the fact that our members gave SECO Energy high marks in the category of “price” during the most recent J.D. Power residential customer satisfaction study. Price is just one measure of satisfaction – reliability, communication, customer service, corporate citizenship and billing/payment are also key factors ranked by J.D. Power.

 

In fact, the company is ranked by J.D. Power as highest in customer satisfaction among midsize utilities in the south.

 

Keeping rates affordable is a high priority for SECO Energy and for our power-producing partner, Seminole Electric Cooperative. Together, we work hard to control our expenses and to pass along savings to our member-owners. SECO Energy, your not-for-profit electric cooperative, operates solely for the benefit of our members – and that means you!

 

SECO can help you save money and energy. Contact us today to schedule a free energy audit at energyservices@secoenergy.com.

Citizens for Cooperative Power Successful Petition Certification

At this week’s Bushnell City Council meeting, Alex Patton with Ozean Media and Citizens for Cooperative Power (CFCP) addressed the council during the citizens’ forum. Patton advised that Bushnell citizens had recently organized to advocate for a change to the City’s charter.
CFCP initiated the petition process in October, and quickly gathered the required number of petitions to initiate a charter amendment. Nearly 200 petitions signed by registered Bushnell voters were submitted to the Sumter County Supervisor of Elections for verification. On Nov. 2, the Supervisor of Elections informed Patton that the petition had been certified and the initiative would appear on the ballot in an upcoming election.

 

The petition reads: Shall the Charter for the City of Bushnell be amended to require the city to sell the city’s electric distribution system to SECO Energy on or before December 31, 2017 in order to provide electric service to all city customers, except as extended by court order?

 

The petition explains that approval amends the charter by adding a provision requiring the City to dispose of the City’s electric distribution system by selling it to Sumter Electric Cooperative, Inc. (SECO Energy). Patton said the initiative gives Bushnell citizens a voice in who will provide their electric service.

 

Patton had discussed the petition for referendum timing with the Supervisor of Elections, who indicated that adding it to the Presidential Primary scheduled for March 2016 would be an easy process. Patton emphasized the City must take action quickly so that dispute would not drag out for another year. He also stated the political committee was offering to offset any additional costs incurred by the City per their intra-local agreement with the Supervisor of Elections to administer the election.

 

Rather than consider this request, Mayor Spaude moved that the referendum appear on the ballot in November 2016 with the Presidential Election. Councilor Dale Swain attempted to amend the motion to change the election date to the March 2016 Presidential Primary ballot. The amendment did not receive a second. Discussion ensued between the Mayor and Councilors Durham, Davis and McCoy, but because they were not speaking into the microphones, several citizens were vocal about not hearing the conversations subsequent to the motions.

 

After Bushnell citizen Dale Barnes voiced his concern about the poor communication of the council and inability to hear the public business, the City Attorney clarified that the Mayor’s motion had received a second and an affirmative vote that the initiative would appear on the November 2016 ballot.

 

Vice Mayor Bill Durham, a SECO Energy employee with an apparent conflict of interest, did not recuse himself from the vote. Councilor McCoy complained that the citizens had not “come to the City first” before petitioning to the Supervisor of Elections. McCoy seemed oblivious to the fact that citizens have been attending City Council meetings in droves since February asking the City to abandon their costly quest to acquire SECO’s territory. Councilor Davis asked if this was “City of SECO” or “City of Bushnell” as she shook her head in disdain. Neither Councilor acknowledged that it is the statutory right of the citizens to petition. Past council meeting notes indicate that citizens repeatedly asked if the City could sell its electric service to SECO and were advised that it was not possible. That, per Section 7.05 of the charter, is not the case. The citizens’ petition for referendum validates that fact.

 

SECO Energy supports the citizens’ desire to have a voice in determining their electric service provider. The company stands ready to support the will of the people and will respect the election results. Read SECO Energy’s assessment of the City’s electric feasibility study and review the corresponding presentation.

SECO Energy Earns J.D. Power Ranking; Showcases New Logo

SECO Energy, a not-for-profit cooperative delivering power through nearly 200,000 meters across seven Central Florida counties, ranks highest in among midsize utilities in the South region according to the J.D. Power 2015 Electric Utility Residential Customer Satisfaction Study. To commemorate the honor and strengthen the company’s brand identity, a new logo was developed.

 

The J. D. Power study ranks midsize and large utilities in four geographic regions: East, Midwest, South and West. Companies in the midsize utility segment serve between 100,000 and 499,999 residential customers, while companies in the large segment serve 500,000 or more. The study measures customer satisfaction with utilities by examining six factors: power quality and reliability; price; billing and payment; corporate citizenship; communications; and customer service.

 

SECO Energy CEO Jim Duncan humbly stated, “This J.D. Power award is the culmination of a decade of hard work and steady improvement in the service we provide to our customers, who we call members. I credit our Board’s governance, our management team’s leadership and, most important, our employees’ dedication and hard work. Our highest priority is serving our members with reliable, low-cost service while supporting our local communities. We’re honored that SECO Energy members have recognized our company with this award.”

 

Board President Ray Vick commented, “The J.D. Power award marks a significant milestone and frames a positive future for our company, which has a deeply rooted history as Sumter Electric Cooperative, founded in 1938 with a mission of rural electrification.” The mission has changed over time, and in an effort to enhance the company’s image as a utility serving across seven Central Florida counties, the cooperative has slowly adopted the name “SECO Energy.” A notice was recently published in the Sumter County Times of intention to officially do business as (d/b/a) SECO Energy, and the name was registered with the Florida Department of State.

 

The company developed the new logo to strengthen its brand identity. Colors remain the same for familiarity, and the plug was preserved as a tribute to the previous logo. Duncan added, “The partial circle or arc over the top speaks to SECO Energy’s presence in The Sunshine State – its beautiful sunrises, sunsets, solar power, continuous energy flow, Florida oranges and, truly, anything under the sun. The logo commemorates the significance of the company’s identify today and in the future as SECO Energy.”

 

Enhancing member communication is one of SECO’s current priorities. The company is currently evaluating its website and storm center platforms and researching technology that promotes two-way communication with members. Visit the company on Facebook and Twitter today for the latest company news, energy-efficiency resources and community outreach events.