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SECO News, January 2018

 

Duncan’s Digest

Reliability, Raptors and a River

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR! 2018 marks SECO Energy’s 80th year as a not-for-profit electric cooperative in Central Florida. The cooperative has grown alongside the counties it serves, and now provides safe, affordable, reliable power to 200,000 homes and businesses.

 

63,000 of our 200,000 members reside in Lake County – famous for its vast number of waterways. In fact, almost 20 percent of the county is covered by water. SECO’s Operations crews responsible for building and maintaining SECO facilities must adapt to the unique watery landscape. In the past, crews sometimes installed poles and lines using the most direct route possible, spanning small bodies of water and poles were often installed in standing water.

 

Duncan's Digest January 2018

 

Reminding us of by-gone construction standards, a concrete pole supporting a main feeder line rises out of Tavares’ Dead River. An osprey nesting dish at the top has offered a home for raptors inhabiting Lake County waterways. The longstanding nest on this dish was inactive and had collected years of debris. Recently, rotting debris falling off the dish made contact with the feeder line and caused an outage for 250 members. Operations crews restored power to the affected members in under an hour by temporarily rerouting (aka backfeeding) through a different feeder line.

 

To permanently fix the problem, we needed a complex plan. Crews would replace the damaged equipment and remove the burned debris from the nesting dish – all while suspended 45 feet above the river. Multiple support personnel would be on-site and a rescue boat would be launched in the river. Standard bucket trucks aren’t equipped for this type of job – SECO needed heavy equipment, including a 75-ton crane.

 

Access to the pole was limited and stationing a crane of this size near the marshy river bank was impossible. The pole would have to be accessed from the river overpass on Highway 441. With assistance from the Florida Highway Patrol and permitting from Lake County, the right two lanes were closed after 7 pm. The crane rolled in while SECO personnel set up a roadside job site. The line was grounded and de-energized for safety.

 

Line techs from SECO’s Eustis Operating Center – Nathan Rioux and Brandon Blackmon – volunteered to work from the crane basket suspended over the river while Sumterville line tech Logan Land observed from the rescue boat.

 

Before work commenced, SECO’s Safety Manager was on-site to oversee the security of the crane and basket’s connection. Nathan and Brandon donned their personal protective equipment and inspected their safety harnesses. The basket’s maneuvers were tested while empty and with the team in the basket.

 

Once testing was complete, the hard work began. The team replaced the damaged insulators and spliced in 20 feet of overhead conductor before installing new animal protections. The old nest debris was removed while Logan observed the work from the rescue boat below and watched for alligators and fishing boats.

 

The project took hours but was worth the wait and effort. The power line is reliable again, and with a cleaner, safer dish available, ospreys will soon build anew. Future plans are in the works to redesign this feeder line as an underground service. This enhancement requires a St. John’s Water Management District permit, as SECO plans to bore under the Dead River. The pole will remain in its current location to support existing communications cable and fiber lines belonging to other entities.

 

The pole and nesting dish will stand available for future generations of roosting osprey making their home near the river. This project is just one of many examples of SECO’s support of environmental protection.

 

Sincerely,

 

Jim Duncan

Chief Executive Officer

 

SECO Energy Home Energy Assessment

 

Home Energy Assessment – Increase Your Energy Efficiency IQ

 

MAKE A RESOLUTION to increase your energy efficiency IQ in 2018 and save money on your monthly energy bill with SECO’s online Home Energy Assessment, a whole-house energy audit you can complete from the comfort of your home.

 

SECO’s Home Energy Assessment will help you identify energy wasters. Get started by visiting our Home Energy Assessment page and input the specific details of your home and your family’s lifestyle.

 

In just minutes, SECO will send you an email with low-cost energy-saving tips tailored to your home. Review the energy-saving tips and implement those that best apply to your home and lifestyle. Increasing your home’s energy efficiency will decrease your energy use and ultimately lower your monthly energy bill.

 

For a more in-depth audit of your home’s energy wasters, SECO offers in-home energy audits at no charge. To request an on-site energy audit with one of our Energy Services Specialists, visit our website or give us a call.

 

 

Scholarships 2018

 

2018 SECO Scholarship Program

 

SECO ENERGY is proud to renew its commitment to local, young scholars through its 2018 SECO Scholarship program. SECO will award up to 12 $3,000 scholarships to graduating high school seniors who live in a home served by SECO Energy. Our not-for-profit cooperative has awarded scholarships for more than 20 years, contributing over $500,000 to 250+ local students seeking higher education.

 

Who is eligible to apply? High school seniors graduating in the current year (May/June) who live in a home served by SECO Energy. Recipients must be enrolled full-time in an accredited college, university or vocational/technical school located in Florida by the end of 2018.

 

Applications are available beginning January 1 at all Member Service Centers or on our Scholarship page online. Completed applications must be received by 5 p.m. Friday, March 30, 2018. Mail the application to:

 

SECO Energy
Attn: Corporate Communications
P.O. Box 301
Sumterville, FL 33585

 

Applications can also be delivered to a Member Service Center. If you have questions, email Communications@secoenergy.com or call (352) 569-9561. Winners will be notified by phone or mail in late April.

 

 

Correction

 

In December SECO News, January’s Board of Trustees Meeting date was incorrect. The correct date of January’s Board Meeting is January 29, 2018.

 

Read the full January 2018 SECO News here.

 

Sunshine State Stats, November 2017

November 2017 was slightly warmer than the previous November, so members may have been running their HVAC units more frequently than last year at this time. Thus, your November bill this year may be higher than last year’s November bill. The average temperature came in at 69°, while November of 2016 had an average temperature of 68°. Rainfall came in at 1.51 inches compared to last November at 0.03 inches.

 

There were 132 cooling degree days and 7 heating degree days for November 2017, while last year there were 118 cooling degree days with 27 heating degree days. The Degree Days are based on how much warmer or cooler the average temperature at a particular location is than 65°F. In other words, if the average temperature is 60° degrees outside on a particular day, there are 5 Heating Degree Days for that day in that location.

 

Sunshine State Stats November 2017 Temperature layout

This December is forecast to be similar to last December with precipitation being higher than normal. At the time of this writing, a cold front is forecast to creep into Central Florida around December 7 with lows in the 30s. Therefore, heating costs will increase electric usage and bills. Per ENERGY STAR, you can save 3-5% annually on heating costs for each degree lower you set the thermostat during the winter. And you can save up to $180 annually with a programmable thermostat.

 

If you want to check historical usage, log into SmartHub to view past bills and 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. If you want a member of our Energy Services team to come to your home to perform a free energy audit, contact us today to book an appointment.

SECO Employee Aids Swindled Couple

SECO Energy’s Robert Stevens, an Energy Services Specialist, possesses the brain of an investigator and the heart of a philanthropist. Robert answered the call when an elderly couple required SECO’s assistance, found the cause of the members’ energy-use concerns and provided aid when they needed it most.

 

SECO helps members save energy and lower their bills by performing energy audits on members’ homes.The request may be in response to a bill that is abnormally high or from members who are simply looking for ways to save energy by making small changes in their homes/lifestyles.

 

In early May, SECO members Mr. and Mrs. George Somariva who reside in Lady Lake, received an electric bill that was much higher than usual. The Somarivas were concerned because of a previous, negative experience with their home warranty company and its contractor, so they called SECO for help. Within just a few days, Robert visited the Somariva’s home, completed an energy audit and found the problem. Mr. and Mrs. Somariva’s heat strips were heating the home at the same time the A/C was running to cool the home – causing the high energy usage.

 

In early 2016, the Somarivas contracted with a home warranty company that included HVAC services. The home warranty company sent a technician and there was significant confusion over what needed repair/replacement. In the end, the Somarivas gave the contractor a check representing a $2,000 deposit for a new unit. The check was cashed but they never heard from the contractor again.

 

SECO reached out to the contractor and to the home warranty management. Unfortunately, their recollections are contradictory. Some recompense was offered by the home warranty company but the Somarivas were not made whole. The couple contacted Seniors vs. Crime with their story and the agency helped them file complaints with Florida’s Department of Business and Professional Regulation against both the contractor and the home warranty company. Seniors vs. Crime determined that the contractor was not licensed as his online profile suggests and that he has a criminal record in Florida.

 

The Somarivas paid for a home warranty. They paid a contractor sent by the home warranty company. Once Robert determined the heat strip issue with the AC unit, they had to pay a reputable HVAC company to fix the problem – to the tune of $500.

 

After this large outlay, the Somarivas remained distressed because they still had two high energy bills to pay. Robert’s heart went out to the retired couple. He asked SECO to help these long-time members with their energy-use issue, and SECO agreed. The cooperative allocated a donation of Angel Funds from the company’s Pennies from Heaven program to offset the high electric bills.

 

Robert offers this advice to SECO members, “If you believe you have a problem with your HVAC unit, call SECO first. A trained Energy Services Specialist will conduct a home energy audit, and we can usually help members identify the cause of an HVAC problem. SECO’s no-cost energy audit can potentially save members thousands in needless HVAC repairs or replacements recommended by contractors looking to make a quick buck.”

 

The Somarivas are grateful to SECO for help during this ordeal. Mr. Somariva stated, “I’m glad we called SECO and spoke to Robert. He’s a knowledgeable guy, he found the problem quickly, and we had it repaired the same day. It’s a shame that Total Maintenance of Tampa won’t stand by their warranty or their word and that their contractor, Chris Martin, was not reputable or licensed. But we are thankful to SECO and Robert for their help.”

 

SECO Energy members can make an appointment for a free in-home energy audit at their home or conduct an energy audit online with SECO’s Home Energy Assessment. “Like” SECO’s Facebook page and “follow” @SECOEnergy on Twitter for news releases and cooperative updates.