SECO Energy Champions Relief for Members Following Record Summer Heatwave
After an extreme summer heatwave drove record energy use across Central Florida, SECO Energy is championing two sources of bill payment relief for eligible members in the coming months.
Through a partnership with FloridaCommerce, SECO will deliver payment assistance funded by the federal Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). The federal program assists income-qualified households with energy costs. Typically, members must apply to receive LIHEAP support, but thanks to this partnership, qualifying member accounts will automatically receive federal energy assistance credit on their SECO electric bill – no application required.
At the same time, SECO’s Board of Trustees has approved a significant change to its residential deposit policy. Beginning in October, residential members who paid a deposit when opening an account and have completed 24 consecutive months of excellent payment history will automatically have their deposit credited back to their bill – no request needed. Only accounts that meet these criteria are eligible for the automatic deposit refund.
“Members are at the heart of every decision we make, “said Curtis Wynn, SECO Energy CEO. “This summer’s record heat has strained household budgets, and we wanted to act quickly. Thanks to our partnership with FloridaCommerce, qualifying accounts will receive automatic LIHEAP credit. And looking ahead, our deposit return policy rewards members who have consistently paid on time. Although we cannot help every member with these two initiatives, a considerable number of members meet the requirements.”
“This change reflects our commitment to putting members first,” said Gerald Anderson, President of SECO Energy’s Board of Trustees. “After this summer’s extreme heat, we wanted to find tangible relief for those eligible for a deposit refund and thank them for their loyalty and good payment history.”
District 6 Trustee Mike Muffett, an early advocate for automatically refunding member deposits, shared, “We know our members work hard, and many have been stretched thin. These steps show that SECO is their trusted energy provider, especially in challenging times.”
Both initiatives highlight the cooperative difference: being not-for-profit, member-owned and committed to strengthening community while putting members’ needs first.
There is no action required from SECO members to benefit from these initiatives. Qualifying accounts will automatically receive LIHEAP credits, and eligible deposit refunds will be applied beginning in October. Members can review SECO’s Rate Tariff for full details on deposit requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
LIHEAP stands for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program. It’s a federal program that helps income-qualified households with their energy costs.
SECO partnered with FloridaCommerce to make the process easier. Normally, members must apply for LIHEAP funds. But through this partnership, Florida Commerce will automatically match qualifying SECO accounts and apply the credit directly.
No. If your household qualifies, FloridaCommerce will automatically apply a bill credit to your SECO account.
If your account qualifies, the credit will show up automatically on your bill. No further action is required.
Members can visit FloridaCommerce and apply for LIHEAP funds online. SECO Energy also provides an interactive map of social service agencies that may be able to help with utility bill payment assistance. Visit our website and view our Find Bill Payment Help section.
Beginning in October, SECO will automatically return deposits to eligible residential members. To qualify, you must:
- Have paid a deposit when opening a residential account with SECO and still have an active deposit balance on the account
Have completed 24 consecutive months of excellent SECO payment history.
When you applied for a new service connection with SECO, you were required to have a deposit because your credit score did not qualify for a waiver.
Excellent SECO payment history means that during the previous consecutive 24-month period,
- Your bill was paid by the due date,
- Your account had no disconnections, and
- There were no instances of meter tampering, or other adverse actions on your account.
If you would like to review your account payment history, please contact Member Services at (352) 793-3801.
No. If you meet the qualifications, your deposit will be credited directly to your SECO bill starting in October.
No. The automatic deposit refund applies only to residential members who originally paid a deposit and meet the 24-month payment history requirement.
Because members come first. The summer heat brought record energy use and higher bills. By partnering with Florida Commerce and adjusting our deposit procedures, SECO is easing today’s burdens and rewarding members’ long-term reliability.
