Angel Fund

What is the Angel Fund program all about?
The SECO Angel Fund is the Cooperative’s mechanism for improving the human condition in Sumter Electric’s seven-county service territory. The Fund is intended to help meet those needs in our community which might not be met through other means. It is not intended to replace, or supercede, any other types of existing funds or grants currently being used to address humanitarian needs in our communities. Members choose how, when and to what extent they wish to participate in the program.

How is revenue for the Angel Fund generated?
Monies for the Angel Fund come from royalties paid through the sale of SECO collectible toy trucks, profits from the sale of the book called Nature's Reflections, donations from our vending machines, profits from the sale of weather radios, donations made by our members through the "Pennies from Heaven" program and from outright donations made by members and by non-members.

What types of assistance are given through the Angel Fund?
Some examples are: energy assistance, emergency assistance related to a home fire, or some other catastrophic event, fundraising efforts on behalf of individuals needing lifesaving medical treatment, or transplant, in SECO's service territory and support for local human service agencies which may be experiencing funding difficulties. (The idea here is to catch things that are falling between the cracks and have serious community ramifications.)

We take the disbursement of these funds seriously. Applicants for assistance through the SECO Angel Fund are required to complete a certificate of need/disclosure statement. These application forms are available at all SECO Offices and from the Corporate Communications & Energy Services Department in Sumterville. Realizing the potentially emergent nature of some requests, applications are reviewed quickly so community needs can be identified and acted on in a timely manner. Applications for energy assistance are handled through area community service organizations such as the United Way, Salvation Army and Christian Social Services.

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Area Lighting:

Is it possible for me to have a light installed on the pole at my gate as this area is very dark at night?
Members who wish to have an outdoor area light on their property call and make a request for a light to be installed. Personnel in the Call Center will forward your request to the appropriate person in our Engineering department and a technician will contact you to discuss lighting, placement, rental fees and additional costs (if necessary).

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Bill payment for electric service:

Are there locations, other than your five offices, where I can go to pay my electric bill?
Yes, several area banks also accept SECO Energy's electric bill payments. Click here to for a list of all payment options.

Do you have payment options other than by check or in person at the office?
Yes, we have several options for paying your SECO Energy bill. In addition to paying at any one of our five convenient Customer Service Centers, payments can be paid by automatic bank draft, online with ebillxpress, by phone using a credit card/debit card through Speedpay and, of course, by U.S. Mail.

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Capital Credits:

What are Capital Credits?
Sumter Electric, aka SECO Energy, is a not-for-profit member-owned corporation. Sound financial practices and legal requirements are such that each year we must have an excess of revenues over expenses. This excess is referred to as margins, and by law, must be allocated to each of the members who paid electric bills during the year. This is done by dividing the Cooperative’s total margins by total revenue, and multiplying the resulting percentage by each member’s payments for SECO service for the year. Each member’s portion is referred to as his/her capital credits, also called patronage capital, for the year.

Are Capital Credits returned to Members?
Capital Credits may be returned by general or estate retirements as approved by our Board of Trustees, based on the financial condition of the Cooperative. General retirements are normally made on an annual basis to current and former members. Current members receive the refund as a credit on their electric bill usually in November of each year. Former members receive a check. Heirs or estates of current or former members may file a claim for assignment of accumulated capital credits. Payments are made as part of the general retirement process. Could SECO owe you money from past years?

Are Capital Credits returned to Businesses?
Capital credits are allocated to businesses in the same manner as they are to residential members. These monies are returned to businesses when the Board of Trustees makes a general retirement.

Do I earn interest on Capital Credits?
Since the Cooperative is operated on a user-owned, non-profit basis, you do not receive interest or dividends on your Capital credits. To pay interest, electric rates would have to be increased.

Do I have to report Capital Credits on my Tax Return as Taxable Income?
Capital credits are a refund of prior years electric costs and need not be reported as taxable income to holders of residential accounts. Holders of business accounts should discuss any refund with their tax preparer/advisor.

What if I move away?
If you move from our service area, the capital credits accumulated in your account will remain in your name. It is important that you keep the Co-op informed of your current address so that we can send you a refund when a general retirement is made. By keeping SECO informed of your current address you will avoid a monthly service charge assessed on accounts with unclaimed refunds.

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Co-op Owners for Political Action:

What is Co-op Owners for Political Action and why should I join?
The Co-op Owners for Political Action program was developed specifically so that co-op members could join co-op employees to have a stronger voice in legislative arenas with regard to member-owned cooperatives, electric service and the possible impacts on members following any deregulation of the electric industry. Employees in electric co-ops have had a voice through their own ACRE program, but that program is limited to co-op employees. The PAC's concern is to insure that our elected representatives do not enact legislation or facilitate regulation that would be harmful to electric cooperatives and, by extension, cooperative customers who are also member/owners of their Co-ops. An incumbent’s record related to his or her actions on co-op related issues (which are also consumer issues) is carefully reviewed and new candidates are interviewed to determine how they feel about items of importance to co-ops. This is the sole criteria for support and no other issues come into play whatsoever.

How do you select candidates to sponsor?
It’s important to understand that this political action committee is bipartisan in nature. Whether a candidate is a Democrat or a Republican does not matter. An overview of candidates receiving ACRE contributions over the years indicates the contributions have, as it happens, been pretty evenly split between the two major parties. The reason for that is because party affiliation is simply not a concern for electric cooperatives. We have one concern and one concern only.

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How do I change my mailing address?
You can call or stop by any one of our offices, or just send an email to our Customer Care/Customer Service Center.

How do I sign up to pay my bill online?
Click on ebillxpress to go to the logon/enrollment page. Once enrolled you will be able to enter your Logon ID and password. The Logon ID should not have any spaces and your password should be at least 6 characters/digits or larger with no spaces. Once this step is completed, it will take you to a screen where you can view and pay your bill online. Having a copy of your electric bill with the account number and a blank check showing the routing numbers of your bank will help expedite the enrollment procedure.

When will my new User ID and password be activated?
Immediately. Your User ID and password are active immediately following enrollment.

How will I be notified when my current electric bill is available for viewing and payment?
Each month, after the meter is read and a statement prepared, you will receive an email notification that your current bill is available for viewing and payment. You can review the statement and make your payment online or by mail anytime prior to the regular due date noted on the statement.

When can I start making payments?
Once enrolled, you can start making payments as soon as you have a bill available.

How do I make a payment?
Once enrolled in ebillxpress, simply sign in and you will see a summary of your current ebill(s). You can then click "View" for a detailed copy of the bill(s), or you can check the block(s) under “Pay Now” for the bill(s) you want to pay and click "Pay Now" to make payment.

When will my payment be credited to my SECO account?
When payments are made online, the payment is noted electronically and a confirmation number is issued for the transaction. Payments made are posted to the account within two working days.

Can I establish regularly scheduled payments?
Yes, once logged in, simply click "My Payments" on the menu and then choose "Recurring Payments."

How do I know which payments I've scheduled or completed?
After paying a bill, you will receive confirmation that the payment has been scheduled. Before the scheduled payment date, your history page will show the payment as "scheduled". When the scheduled payment is submitted to the payment processor your history page will show the payment as "pending". After the response is received, your history page will show the payment as "approved" or "rejected". Currently online payments are the only payment types displayed in ebillxpress, but we are working toward displaying all payment types.

How do I know that unauthorized payments will not be made?
All transactions are made on a secure server. You initiate and authorize every bill payment withdrawn from your account. User ID and Password: Your User ID and password are unique identifiers that only you know. As long as you don't share your user name and password with anyone, no one can view your bills or personal information. SSL: ebillxpress uses SSL (secure socket layers) which insures that your connection and information are secure from outside inspection. Encryption: ebillxpress uses 128 bit encryption to make your information unreadable as it passes over the Internet. Automatic Sign Out: ebillxpress automatically signs you out of a session if you are inactive for 20 minutes.

Will I continue to receive a paper bill/SECO News in the mail?
When enrolling, you will have an option to continue to receive a paper copy of the SECO News and your bill. If you select NO, you will receive only the email notification each month and no longer receive a paper bill in the US Mail.

I am signed up on the Bank Draft program, can I view my bill online?
Yes. Members enrolled in the Bank Draft program can choose to review monthly statements online rather than receiving a paper bill by US Mail. Notification will be sent by email when the statement is issued and payment will automatically be withdrawn from your bank account on the due date. However, the bank draft payment will not be displayed online. Currently online payments are the only payment types displayed in ebillxpress, but we are working toward displaying all payment types.

What is the difference between Bank Draft and ebillxpress?
Bank Draft automatically withdraws your electric payment from your bank account on the date specified on your electric bill as the due date, while ebillxpress allows you to pay your bill online and gives you the option to pay anytime between the date the statement is issued and the due date. Whether you participate in Bank Draft or ebillxpress, or both, is entirely your choice.

What if I have a question about my bill?
If you have a question about your bill, just send an email to us in Customer Service. Or, if you prefer to call, contact SECO’s Customer Information Center at (352) 793-3801, (or at any of the numbers posted at the bottom of this page) anytime Mondays through Fridays between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m.

What if I forget my User ID or password?
User ID: Enter your email address as your User ID. If you change your email address, log on using the prior email address and then update your information in the "MY PROFILE" section. Password: If you forget your password, go to the Log-On page and click "Forgot your Password". Enter your User ID and your password will be emailed to the email address you provided during enrollment.

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How do I change my address, or phone number?
To change your mailing address, or other personal information, select the "Customer Care" link on the menu.

How do I update or change my account to reflect my new email address?
First, Log On. Then, to update your email address, click on "MY PROFILE" on the menu and select "PERSONAL INFORMATION " then click "EDIT" to update your email address or any other personal information. When your done, click "SAVE" to save your changes.

How do I change my bank account information?
Once you've Logged On, click "MY PAYMENTS" and select "PAYMENT ACCOUNTS ". Since you must have at least one active account in order to remain enrolled in ebillxpress, you must add a second account before deleting one.

How can I confirm if my payment has been processed?
The best way to see if your online payment has been made is to check your payment status. From the navigation menu, select "MY PAYMENTS" to view your payment status. Currently online payments are the only payment types displayed in ebillxpress, but we are working toward displaying all payment types.

Are all computers safe to use?
Computer security experts advise that you may put your information at risk when you use a public computer for personal business. While SECO uses numerous security measures to protect your personal information on our Web site, the use of public computers may compromise the security of your information. Public computers include those in schools, libraries, Internet Cafés, etc. For maximum security, you may want to avoid using public computers when enrolling or modifying your personal information.

How can I check to make sure my payment was received and processed?
Once you have Logged On and entered your ID and password, click on “PAYMENT HISTORY ” and follow the prompts. Currently online payments are the only payment types displayed in ebillxpress, but we are working toward displaying all payment types.

If I have several accounts, can I pay them all together?
Yes. If you have multiple accounts, you may view and pay them together, or separately, as you choose.

How do I enroll additional accounts?
Click "MY PROFILE" from the menu, then click "MY ACCOUNTS " and follow the prompts to add other accounts.

What happens to scheduled payments if I cancel my enrollment?
Scheduled payments will still be processed. If you do not want this to happen, you should cancel any scheduled payments prior to canceling your enrollment.

Do you accept credit card payments?
SECO Energy does accept credit card payments via an online service called SpeedPay. It is paid for entirely by users of the service (not the entire membership) through the cost of a service, or convenience fee.

What other ways can I make payments?
See "Bill Payments for electric service" above or go to our ways to pay page for a complete list.

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How do I discontinue participating in ebillxpress?
To discontinue the program, send an email to Customer Service or call SECO’s Customer Information Center at (352) 793-3801, (or at any of the numbers posted at the bottom of this page) anytime Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m.

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What is the Pennies from Heaven program all about?
"Pennies from Heaven" is part of our "Angel Fund" program. This is an easy, effortless way for members of our Co-op to work together to provide financial assistance to worthy causes in our service area. Members who decide to be part of the program agree to have their monthly electric bill automatically rounded up to the next dollar. As an example, if your bill is $67.72, you’ll pay $68.00. The extra 28 cents goes directly into the SECO Angel Fund.

As a SECO member, who contributes to the Pennies from Heaven program, is there any way to make a larger contribution along with my bill payment?
Yes. You can contribute whatever amount you would like to SECO's Angel Fund simply by indicating the amount on the portion of the bill you return with your check.

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Power Outages and Service Interruptions: What causes my lights to blink, or go dim?
Consumers will occasionally notice momentary interruptions in their power, blinks and dimming lights. There are typically two distinct reasons for these occurrences. The blinks result from protective equipment on SECO Energy ’s lines isolating a temporary problem and then restoring the system to normal. This operation, in most cases, prevents a sustained outage. Additionally, consumers may notice their lights dim in portions of their home for a few seconds when a motor, such as a refrigerator or air conditioning compressor, cycles on. This is due to the electrical load the motor places on the home’s electrical wiring when starting up. The electricity required to start a motor can be 6 or 7 times as much as it takes to run the motor once it is up to speed. This is similar to the water pressure drop you'll notice when a sprinkler or the washing machine starts. While this occurrence is fairly typical, if the condition is severe, or lasts longer than a few seconds, it could indicate a house wiring or appliance problem. Investigation of the actual cause should be determined by a knowledgeable professional. It is also possible under some conditions that SECO Energy’s facilities outside of the home would need to be checked as well. If you believe this is the case, call SECO Energy and report the situation.

What can I do about blinking clocks?
While we agree that it is irritating to come home and find several clocks blinking, it should also reassuring to know that this means the electrical system is working as it should. Before electronic digital clocks and home computers, a short blink of electrical power was hardly noticed. When appliances with electronic digital clocks first came on the market, their sensitivity meant even a second’s loss of power caused a loss of accurate time and required resetting the clock -- an irritating task homeowners often came home to find waiting for them. Today, newer electronic digital clocks often come with a battery backup system that prevents the need to reset after a momentary loss of power. These clocks usually reset to a predetermined time each time. When purchasing clocks or appliances with electronic digital clocks, ask if it comes with a battery back-up, or memory, which maintains the time during short power losses. Then, when the lights blink momentarily, you'll know that it's an indication that the electrical equipment is operating properly. Blinking lights reflect the operation of equipment that protects the lines and often keeps the power from going off altogether. Most often, these blinks are a result of momentary outages that occur when some type of disturbance exists on the line.

• A downed line caused a fuse to blow and isolated the problem restoring your power within seconds
• Animals, such as squirrels, momentarily short circuited an energized line
• Equipment failure which caused an outage and has since been restored or isolated by the system
• Lightning striking on, or near the line
• Tree limbs falling, or contacting the line
• Underground cable cuts
• Vehicles striking poles or guy wires

Purchasing Old Power Poles:

Do you offer left over or surplus power poles for sale?
SECO Energy does periodically dispose of poles that have been removed or changed out on our system. It is our policy to reuse the poles whenever possible, but in the event that the poles cannot be salvaged into inventory stock, they are sold based on the following criteria:

• If the property owner or adjacent property owner (near where the poles are removed) wants the poles on, or adjacent to their property, they may purchase the poles. OR...
• In the event the property owner does not want the poles, they are returned to the Cooperative where they are sold based on a "Used Pole List" maintained at each Operations Center Warehouse location.

• In Sumterville -- (352) 793-3801, extension 1242
• In Eustis or Groveland (352) 429-2195, extension 4037
• In Ocala -- (352) 237-4107, extension 3050

Security Deposits:

Is a Security deposit required on all residential services?
A Security Deposit of $200.00 is required on each residential service. Since we no longer accept letters of credit from other utilities, members must either pay the full deposit or have an acceptable Equifax check performed in order to waive the $200.00 deposit requirement.

How long do you keep a deposit before it is refunded?
Residential deposits are refunded if an excellent credit standing has been maintained by the member for 24 months. An Equifax credit check is also performed to determine satisfactory credit history prior to refunding the security deposit.

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Service Requests:

Do I have to come into your office to request service?
If there is an existing electrical service at the location you want connected, you can make all the arrangements by telephone or via email to Customer Service. The Membership Application is available online (in PDF format) in English and en Español. There is a $5.00 membership fee required for each new member, a service connection charge and a security deposit may be required. Both the service charge and membership fee can be billed on the account.

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Speedpay, or Credit/Debit Cards:

Why is there a $4.95 "convenience" fee for paying by credit/debit card?
SECO seriously studied this issue for several years and did a tremendous amount of research before launching the Speedpay option. Part of that analysis confirmed that SECO did not have the people nor the technical components to run this program in-house. To change that would have meant a major investment on top of the fees that SECO would be paying to the credit card companies. And, that investment plus the resultant, on-going costs would have to be borne by the entire membership. This would not have been fair in light of the small number of customers who have expressed an interest in paying their bills by credit/debit card. You may not be aware that all credit card companies charge the accepting merchant a fee of one to four percent of the gross amount of the transaction amount. Our customer surveys have told us repeatedly that some customers want to use cards, but many don't and they don't want to help pay the fees of those who do.The revenue to operate the Cooperative comes from all our member/customers, and when SECO brings a program online we try to make sure that no one segment of our customer base is favored over another. Most of our customers would no doubt be upset if they were put in the position of paying for program expenses that don’t benefit them.

SECO Energy receives not one penny from these transactions. Credit/debit card services are never free and the consumer, if not paying a fee, still pays the cost of such programs through increased prices for goods or services from the company where payment is made. The Speedpay program is a “convenience service” for those who wish to use it. Several other options are offered free of charge, including our Bank Draft program, paying online, or by dropping the payment off at any of our local offices or at one of the area pay stations.

Perhaps, at some point, a higher number of customers will choose to pay their bills by credit/debit card instead of the small group that we have today. At that juncture, we would certainly look at possible modifications to the program. For now, however, the Speedpay program seems to be the most practical and the most even-handed approach available to the Cooperative.

Why don't you use a company who is less expensive than Speedpay?
Our goal was to provide the service with the users of the service (not the entire membership) paying the cost of the service. We chose SpeedPay because of their demonstrated expertise in processing electric utility payments, they are used by many of the major utilities in the state, because they absorbed all programming and set-up costs, and no investment in equipment was required. We explored a convenience fee structure that was a percentage of the amount to be paid; however, Visa regulations allow only a flat convenience fee, and we did not want to offer a service that did not include Visa payments. Our alliance with SpeedPay was a compromise to allow us to accept credit and debit cards without having non-users subsidize the fee. The SpeedPay fee goes totally to them and we get the full amount of the SECO bill. It's not perfect, but, for now, we're trying it.

Wouldn't it be an advantage for the Co-op to offer free online credit/debit card payments to its members as a service?
If the Cooperative were to pay the fee we would, in effect, be subsidizing the credit card program with money from the vast majority of members who, at least at present, have no interest in making payments this way. In other words, the majority of members would be paying the expense of offering a much smaller group of members this convenience free of charge. In a cooperative, all the members are also part owners. The revenue to operate this Co-op comes from all of them, and whenever SECO offers a new program, we try to make sure that no one segment of the membership is favored over another. The idea is to treat all members equally. We are offering it only as a convenience service; however, members certainly have other options. SECO also offers a free Bank Draft program, or bills can still be sent by mail or dropped off at any local office, area pay station, or paid online.

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Energy Usage & Equipment:

How much electricity does my computer use?
Over a month's time, a CPU, (desktop computer) in the awake mode will use about 120 KWH and cost about $7.00 per month. A monitor that is awake will use 150 KWH and cost approximately $9.00 per month. In the sleep mode a monitor and CPU will use 30 KWH or less and cost about $1.00 per month. A Laptop costs about $3.00 per month to leave on 24 hrs.

Should I buy a generator for use during storms?
Power reliability in Florida is exceptionally good, even with the number of thunderstorms, hurricanes, weather-related, or other events that can impact service. If you do decide to buy a generator, for whatever reason, please read and carefully follow the manufacturer’s instructions and safety recommendations. If a generator is improperly connected to your household wiring, it can cause electricity to flow backwards into the power lines, posing a serious hazard to SECO personnel working on the line. Please read Important Information on Generators BEFORE you buy or install one.

I have medical equipment that I can't be without, so I can't have the power out. Do I need to purchase a generator?
Sumter Electric, and all other electric utilities, always recommend that individuals who are dependent on essential medical equipment have some sort of back up power supply just in case there is an outage. And, this is a good idea for any other type of equipment that you feel is critical and, in your opinion, must never be without power. If you have, or plan on purchasing, a generator please be aware of the fact that it must be used safely. Any equipment you wish to operate off the generator should be plugged directly into the generator. Never tie your generator into your home's electric system. If you do, and there is a power outage, you could cause an electrical back feed that could kill, or seriously injure, SECO personnel working to repair the lines and restore power in your neighborhood. Please read Important Information on Generators BEFORE you buy or install one.

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Lightning & Surge Protection:

Is there any other lightning protection used in Florida for houses other than an indoor surge protection system, like lightning rods or ground rods?
Lightning rods, more correctly called air terminals (or Franklin rods after the inventor), are used in Florida. There are several companies located in Lake and Marion counties in the telephone directory listed under "Lightning Protection Equipment." Most electrical contractors should also be able to make a recommendation. SECO does not recommend any specific provider or vendor. Correct installation is the key and it is expensive. Lightning rods are by design a device that attracts lightning. When installed correctly to code, they divert the stroke to ground. The problem is that many people do not want to spend the money necessary to make secure connections from the rod to a sufficient size down lead cable to a proper ground with proper connection, or to pay to have them routinely inspected. Therefore what happens is the rod attracts lightning, and it sees the internal house systems as a better "route to ground" and ends up dissipating throughout the home causing major damage.

Securing a good, low resistance ground rod connection in Florida is hard to do and requires professional assistance to achieve using precision ground measuring equipment. Typically at SECO we will often drive 70 foot, or multiple rods, in a grid configuration and in a few places 90 feet of rod with connections cad-welded to the rod in order to achieve a ground below 30 ohms. Therefore the single 6-8 foot rod purchased at a hardware/electronic type store is virtually useless with undersized and poorly clamped wire tied to it and it can cause more problems than without. Most communications towers (cellular, broadcast stations and virtually all government complexes) at major locations utilize a device called a dissipation array which deters lightning from wanting to strike a structure in the first place. This technology also requires a good ground grid around the complex and proper low resistance grounding. Normally this would not be seen utilized on a residential home. If you look at a broadcast tower and see a circular device on top with many little wire brush like spikes coming out of it, that is a dissipation array. For more information and practical solutions, contact Customer Service to schedule a visit to discuss things that you, as a homeowner, can do to enhance your in-home protection system, such as our surge protection program, common point grounding and insuring that outlets are properly wired with a ground attached to the proper terminal in electrical sockets.

Another thing to keep in mind when trying to compare Florida weather to that of the northern states is that we live in the highest lightning strike region of the nation, the actual center of which is located near Lakeland, Florida. Only one place in the world, a section of Africa, is higher. Therefore, you will find the lightning strike activity in our area more vicious and more frequent than experienced anywhere else in the U.S. This means that what might work in other areas may not be sufficient or work here at all.

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Radiant Barriers:

Do you have information on radiant barriers and payback time frames?
Radiant Barriers, if applied to the plywood rafters and roof panels, are reported to reduce the temperature in the attic 25-30 degrees. According to the Florida Solar Energy Center, you could save about 20%.

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Page last updated: Friday, July 25, 2008