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Tag: Colorado State University Tropical Meteorology Project

SECO News, August 2021

 

Duncan’s Digest – Enroll in Surge Protection – Win a Generator

 

Dear Members,

 

The 2021 Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30. The Colorado State University (CSU) Tropical Meteorology Project team released an updated forecast for this year’s hurricane season. This team of experts has maintained its prediction that the Atlantic basin will have above-average storm activity this year, and has increased its forecast of the number of named storms anticipated this season.

 

May 2018 SECO News Duncan's Digest

 

Tropical Storm Elsa affected our service area on Tuesday, July 6, and Wednesday, July 7. Elsa became the first named hurricane of the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season on July 2 when it reached Category 1 strength. Elsa was downgraded to a tropical storm as it passed over Cuba and the Florida Straits. For a short while, the storm lingered west of Tampa Bay and strengthened into a hurricane once again. Ultimately Elsa lost intensity and made landfall in Taylor County as a tropical storm on July 7.

 

SECO prepared for the worst. We brought in over 100 contract line and vegetation crews to assist in restoration from Tropical Storm Elsa. Overnight on the 6th and 7th, our system fared exceptionally well as Elsa’s rain bands soaked our service area and brought tornado watches, warnings and wind. During this time, we experienced no large substation or feeder outages. I commend our employees and contractors who rallied to assist in the effort by restoring outages quickly while working safely.

 

Tropical Storm Elsa was the first test of this year’s hurricane season, and we passed with flying colors. But it may be the first of many. That’s why it’s best to be prepared. Not only do we have hurricane season to contend with, but Florida has afternoon summer thunderstorms as well. These storms occur almost daily and bring heavy rain and lightning that can lead to power surges entering your home from the electric line and through the meter.

 

Surges are powerful increases in voltage that can destroy your home’s appliances and electronics. The Surge MitiGator is SECO’s meter-based surge arrester. It is designed to take the bite out of a surge. The MitiGator helps prevent high voltage spikes and surges before they damage appliances and cause financial loss. SECO installs the Surge MitiGator at the meter and the product carries a 15-year warranty. The arrester at the meter is the first step in protection. Point-of-use surge devices should be installed for a home’s electronics and other appliances that run on electric service. Purchase these at your local big box or hardware store. Install as directed.

 

The Surge MitiGator is available for lease for only $5.95 plus tax per month with a $25 installation fee. If you choose to purchase the product, the price ranges from $349 to $399, and installation is always free.

 

Enroll in the Surge MitiGator program (lease or purchase) for a chance to win a portable generator. We’ll pick a winner in both August and September. Read Winners’ Circle on page 4 for the July winner. Members in a current lease or prior purchase are already eligible to win. To enroll in the Surge MitiGator program, visit the Surge MitiGator page and fill out the web form. You can also call us at (352) 793-3801 or email Customer Service.

 

Living in Florida, the potential for tropical storms and hurricanes is a fact of life. I urge you to prepare in advance for the possibility of widespread power outages if a major storm affects our service area. Prepare your emergency supplies before forecasters put Central Florida in the cone of probability. Have a backup source of power if you require electricity for life-sustaining medical equipment. SECO is StormReady – you should be too.

 

Sincerely,

 

Jim Duncan

Chief Executive Officer

 

 

SECO News August 2021 Advice From The Old Farmer's Almanac

Advice from The Old Farmer’s Almanac

 

Florida, with its copious sunshine and sub-tropical climate, provides the perfect environment for a backyard garden. The Old Farmer’s Almanac has advice for gardeners who love the hobby but have space, sun or other limitations. For small areas, use raised beds, vertical spaces or containers. A raised-bed garden can yield 10 times the amount as a same size in-ground garden. Another idea for small spaces is to use a trellis, cage or attach pots to fences. Short on sun? Most vegetables require 8 hours of sunlight to grow, but leafy greens grow well in partial shade. Garlic, peas, beets and radishes can grow in as little as 4 hours a day. If all else fails, use containers to grow your garden. Anything that will hold soil and has water drainage holes will work.

 

Turn to page 4 to read this month’s Florida Fauna & Flora to learn more about the resurrection fern.

 

 

SECO News August 2021 Energy Saving on a Budget

Energy Saving on a Budget

 

Improving your home’s energy efficiency doesn’t have to be expensive. While buying new ENERGY STAR appliances or upgrading your home’s HVAC will reduce your home’s energy consumption, these items carry a hefty price tag. The no-cost and low-cost energy-saving ideas listed below will help reduce your energy usage without breaking the bank.

 

No-cost Energy-Efficiency Ideas:

 

• Wash clothes in cold water.

 

• Use the air-dry cycle on your dishwasher.

 

• Hang laundry outside to dry.

 

• Use natural light during the day.

 

• Turn off lights when leaving a room.

 

• Ceiling fans cool people, not rooms. Turn off when the room is vacant.

 

• Turn off bathroom and kitchen ventilation fans. These bring warm outside air inside.

 

• Turn off electronics like computers, printers and monitors when not in use.

 

• In summer, grill or use appliances such as crock pots, air fryers or microwaves instead of your oven.

 

Low-cost Energy-Efficiency Ideas:

 

• Invest in LEDs.

 

• Replace all filters monthly or according to manufacturer’s instructions.

 

• Seal windows and doors with weatherstripping and/or caulk.

 

• Install window film to limit sunlight.

 

• Plant shade trees on the south, southwest and west sides of buildings for shade.

 

• Plant trees on the north and the west sides of buildings to block winds.

 

• Plant trees to shade driveways, sidewalks, patios and HVAC units.

 

• Use blinds or drapes during summer to limit sun exposure.

 

• Control outdoor lighting with a photocell or timer.

Want more energy-efficiency tips? Try our Home Energy Assessment — a complete online energy audit for your home. Submit your responses and email address to receive an email with energy-efficiency advice tailored to your home and lifestyle. To see the math behind your energy consumption, complete the Energy Estimator.

 

 

SECO News October 2020 Winner's Circle

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:

 

John Bost from Ocala

 

Felica Grost from Inverness

 

Mark Damann from Morriston

 

Christian Oliver from Tavares

 

The latest winner of a SECO Energy Level 2 EV Charger is Marc Crail from Mount Dora. 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

 

Kinilei Shewell from Clermont is the winner of a $200 SECO Energy bill credit.

 

Jules Sigler from Ocala is the winner of a NEST thermostat.

 

Jan Browning from The Villages is the winner of an Amazon Echo Dot with Alexa.

 

Bryant Currier from The Villages is our first winner of a portable generator. We have two more to give away! For a chance to win, lease or purchase SECO’s Surge MitiGator product that protects your home’s appliances from damaging surges and spikes. To learn more or enroll, visit our Surge MitiGator page. Members in a current surge lease or prior purchase are automatically entered in the drawing to win.

 

Read the full August 2021 SECO News online.

SECO News, August 2019

DUNCAN’S DIGEST

 

DO I HAVE YOUR PHONE NUMBER? In early July, the Colorado State University (CSU) Tropical Meteorology Project updated its 2019 Atlantic hurricane season forecast. CSU predicts six major hurricanes will develop before the end of the season. A major hurricane is categorized as a CAT 3, 4 or 5.

May 2018 SECO News Duncan's Digest

 

Peak hurricane season is typically in September. Are you ready? Does SECO have the ability to contact you? Have you updated your seldom-used landline number to your cell phone number if you use it primarily? If you call us during peak volume and the phone number doesn’t match an account, your service options may be limited.

 

How do you update or verify your contact information for account/billing purposes? The easiest way is to visit our homepage and log into SmartHub. Choose “My Profile” then “Update My Billing Address & Contact Information.” Make any necessary changes and choose “Save.” Or, you can email Customer Service. Include name, account number, service address, the last four of the member’s SSN and the updated contact information. You can also call us at (352) 793-3801 or contact us through Facebook private message or Twitter direct message.

 

Our StormCenter and outage notifications system houses separate contact information that conducts outbound, proactive communications and must be updated as well. Did you know StormCenter will send you an email, or voice message when an outage is detected at your service address? StormCenter will also notify you when the outage is restored as well as cause.

 

Members have expressed appreciation for the enhanced communications when we are working in your area. Using the StormCenter communications system, SECO notifies you of pre-planned outages, upgrades, tree trimming and system improvement projects scheduled to occur in your neighborhood.

 

To check your communications preferences, gather a recent bill to find your account number and zip code – you will need both. Then visit SECO Energy and choose StormCenter on the top menu. On the StormCenter page, select “Manage Notifications,” input your account number and zip code or the phone number on file and zip code associated with the account.

 

Determine your preferred notification whether its email, text or voice message or a combination, add the phone number or contact email. Set “do not disturb” times during the hours you don’t want to be notified. Select notifications for each account if you have multiple accounts.

 

As an incentive, view or update your contact information on both SmartHub and StormCenter and be entered twice into a drawing to win a $300 bill credit. If you don’t have online access, just call us or note your primary phone number on your payment coupon when paying your bill.

 

Good luck! The timeframe for the $300 SECO bill credit drawing runs to September 15. We’ll draw a winner on September 16. Stay in touch with SECO and update your contact information today.

 

Sincerely,

 

Jim Duncan

Chief Executive Officer

 

SECO News August 2019 12 Ways to Pay

 

Paying your bill has never been easier! Whether it’s online, by phone or in person, SECO Energy offers 12 convenient ways to pay – most without convenience fees.

 

PAY ONLINE AT SMARTHUB – View and pay your bill, sign up for bank draft, enroll in eBill and compare energy usage by month or year.

 

PAY BY BANK DRAFT – Simplify your life – draft your monthly bill amount from a bank account of your choice. Register for bank draft with SmartHub.

 

PAY IN PERSON – Member Service Centers are located in Eustis, Groveland, Sumterville, Ocala and Inverness with walk-in and drive-thru facilities.

 

PAY AT A KIOSK – Available 24 hours a day, seven days a week at all Member Service Centers. Kiosks accept cash and most credit cards.

 

PAY BY PHONE – 1-(877) 371-9382, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Pay by Visa, MasterCard, Discover, AMEX, debit card or electronic check.

 

PAY NOW – Pay instantly with just your account number and form of payment through SmartHub – no registration required.

 

PAY BY MAIL – SECO Energy (Dept # 3035), PO Box 850001, Orlando, FL 32885-3035

 

MYWAY PREPAY – Pay for energy before you use it with MyWay PrePay. View daily usage and receive phone or text notifications.

 

FIDELITY EXPRESS – Locations accept cash, check or money orders. $1.50 processing fee. Not recommended for MyWay PrePay members.

 

MONEYGRAM – Available at many convenient retail locations. MoneyGram is available for MyWay PrePay enrolled members. $1.50 processing fee.

 

WESTERN UNION – In-person payments received in real time. Convenience fee is $1.50. Maximum amount per transaction is $1,000.

 

BUDGET BILLING – Levels out bills by averaging most recent 12 months usage. Debit/credit balances accumulate based on seasonal usage.

 

 

SECO Energy Insider Second Quarter 2019 StormCenter

 

StormCenter is available on your smartphone or tablet 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Bookmark your address on the outage map, view the weather radar, find crew status, outage cause and estimated restoration time. Report a new outage, check the status of an existing outage, manage your communication preferences (email, text or voice message), report an area light outage or contact us.

 

 

SECO News August 2019 SECO Champion Mark Bowling

 

 

MARK BOWLING – T&D LINE SUPERVISOR/ACTING DISTRIBUTION SUPERINTENDENT

LENGTH OF SERVICE – 30 YEARS

“WE LOVE OUR PEOPLE.” SECO Champion Mark Bowling is a T&D Line Supervisor who is currently serving on a rotational assignment as a Distribution Superintendent in the Groveland office. In his Supervisor role, Mark oversees the field crews that respond to outages, construct line and complete work requests in south Lake County. Mark’s family members are life-long residents of Lake County, and he is proud that his children attend the same schools he did growing up. The family enjoys football and baseball games and his children play school sports. Living in Lake County, Mark’s restoration work after the deadly 2007 Groundhog Day tornadoes was especially emotional. He remembers consoling SECO members whose homes were blown away by the destructive tornadoes. Mark describes his crew as “a good group of guys who are dedicated to SECO Energy, the community and safety.”

 

 

SECO News August 2019 Kids' Coloring Contest

 

CALLING ALL CREATIVE KIDDOS – Enter the SECO Energy Kids’ Calendar Coloring Contest. We are looking for 13 creative, colorful drawings depicting Electrical Safety or Energy Efficiency in a fun way to publish in our 2020 SECO Energy Calendar! The 13 chosen artists will have their artwork, photo and name published in next year’s calendar. Even better, the winners will each receive a $100 prize. The artwork submission form is available online look for Calendar Coloring Contest on our Contact Us page. Print the submission form and include it with the artwork. Mail submissions to: SECO Energy P.O. Box 301 Sumterville, FL 33585-0301 or drop it off at one of our five Member Service Centers.

 

Need Electrical Safety or Energy Efficiency ideas? Visit our website to find tips.

 

To be eligible, the child must be between the ages of 5 and 12 and live in a home served by SECO Energy. Artwork submissions must be received by September 30, 2019.

 

Read the full August 2019 SECO News online.