Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative
S E P T E M B E R 2017
Couple Cast Future on Seafood Market
In 2014, Wayne and Kerri Rosalis opened their fresh seafood market, Sandhills Seafood, in Southport. Read about their journey on page 5. PHOTO BY HOLLIE HALLMARK
Tracking Down Thieves PAGE 6 Understanding Your Electric Bill PAGE 28 n
Gulf Coast
Members acknowledge that $3.96, plus actual postage, is the cost to publish 12 issues a year of Florida Currents (USPS8300). Published by Ruralite Services Inc., 5605 NE Elam Young Pkwy., Hillsboro, OR 97124—a not-for-profit Oregon cooperative corporation—the magazine serves the communications needs of consumer-owned electric utilities in Florida. Preferred Periodicals postage paid at Hillsboro, OR 97123 and at additional mailing offices.
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Have a problem receiving your edition of Florida Currents? Utility members should contact the local utility office listed on the back cover. Nonmembers should contact Ruralite Services, 5605 NE Elam Young Pkwy., Hillsboro, OR 97124; (503) 718-3717; email info@floridacurrents.com. Subscription services: Nonmember subscriptions $12 (U.S.) per year; $25 (foreign) per year. Prepayment required. Allow 4 to 8 weeks for first issue. Be sure to identify which local edition you want to receive. Order online at www.floridacurrents.com. Extra copies: $2 each, prepayment required. Supply is limited. Identify edition, month and year. Contact Ruralite Services.
At Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative, you are not just a member. You are an owner. We are all on the same team! We value your membership. We value you.
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MANUSCRIPTS AND PHOTOGRAPHS
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Inside
September 2017 Vol. 6, No. 11
Building Dreams in the Sand 12 Beachfront architect creates works of art that come and go with the tide. Also In This Issue Side Roads 10 In the Kitchen 16 Great Picture Hunt 18
Travel Journal 20 Festival Roundup 22 Parting Shot 30
Your utility pages: 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 25, 26, 28, 29, 32
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Gulf Coast
More SEER Means More Savings
Office numbers:
Southport ............... (850) 265-3631 Wewahitchka .......... (850) 639-2216 Panama City ........... (850) 481-1188
Every summer as the temperature and air conditioner use rises, so do questions about energy costs. Although as much as half of the energy used in your home goes to heating, ventilation and air conditioning, it can be tough to consider the long-term payback of a more energy-efficient HVAC unit. As a result, Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative offers a heat pump rebate of up to $600 per ton to members who upgrade their heat pumps to a more energy-efficient air-source, dual-fuel or geothermal model. The heat pump must be installed by an HVAC contractor on GCEC’s approved list. The program is our way of rewarding your efforts to be more energy efficient. Air conditioners are measured by the seasonal energy-efficiency ratio. SEER is calculated by dividing the amount of cooling provided during a normal year by energy used. Regardless of your HVAC unit’s current SEER rating, replacing your unit with one rated higher can bring lower energy costs—as much as 10 percent on cooling costs—as long as everything is installed correctly. The higher the SEER, the higher the initial investment. That is why GCEC’s rebates make a big difference. Why not upgrade today and start enjoying savings? For more information, call us at one of our office numbers listed at left, or visit our website at www.gcec.com. n
Reduce Electrical Demand With H2O Plus H2O Plus, a program available to you from Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative, can dramatically reduce the demand for electricity. But we need your participation. Using energy wisely has never been easier. A device is installed on your electric water heater that allows our power supplier to cycle your unit for short periods. By managing energy use when demand is high—when you and your neighbors are using the most electricity— our supplier can reduce demand when electricity is most expensive, delaying the need to build facilities to generate more power, alleviating or pushing those costs out to the future. An added benefit is reducing the
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amount of greenhouse gases, thereby helping the environment. You still will have enough hot water for showers and household chores. In fact, you shouldn’t even notice a difference in the amount of hot water available. For more information, please call GCEC Energy Services Representative Manuela Heyn. She will take down your information and, after ensuring the program is a good fit for your household, schedule an installer to visit your home and install the device at no cost to you. In fact, for your participation, we will make a one-time credit of $25 to your electric bill. We look forward to hearing from you soon. n
The counter at Sandhills Seafood is decorated in a nautical theme.
Couple Cast Future on Seafood Market By Hollie Hallmark
After years working in the familyowned crab-picking plant, Kerri Rosalis never dreamed of having her own business. However, things changed when she married Wayne. “When I was 11 years old, I started mowing grass for money, and that’s when I knew I would have my own business one day,” Wayne says. In 2000, the couple began to discuss making Wayne’s dream a reality. They began looking for a place to build, and knew they did not want to be anywhere besides Bay County. “We knew Bay County couldn’t expand any further east or west and definitely couldn’t go south,” says Kerri. “The only way to expand was by going in this direction, so we chose Southport.” They bought 4 acres and went to work, slowly piecing together a small building, little by little, as they paid for all expenses along the way.
In 2014, they opened a fresh seafood market in Southport, Sandhills Seafood. After three successful years of the market growing rapidly, the couple decided to add a kitchen and seating area for the restaurant. The market offers a variety of fresh seafood such as shrimp, mullet, crab, oysters and more caught by local fishermen. The restaurant offers a wide selection of seafood dinners as well as a chef ’s special daily. Bo and April Durham, who enjoy the lunch buffet, say “Sandhills Seafood is the best food in town.” Signature items include crab cakes and a Biloxi-style gumbo. “The cooking we do is what I was taught by my mother,” says Kerri. “It’s just country cooking that everyone enjoys.” The couple have thoughts of continuing to expand Sandhills Seafood. They have a shell stock license and want to add a shucking room to the back of the
restaurant, where they hope to sell oysters by the pint and maybe even wholesale one day. n
Local customers April and Bo Durham enjoy the lunch buffet at Sandhills Seafood.
Sandhills Seafood, 13712 Highway 77, is open Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. during summer months. On November 5, hours change to Wednesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. For more information, call (850) 441-3290, or find Sandhills Seafood on Facebook. S E P T E M B E R 2 0 17
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Tracking Down Thieves Tampering with electric meters is dangerous, dishonest and illegal—and offenders will be caught
A member cut this meter seal to illegally gain access to GCEC’s meter. 6
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Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative is committed to cracking down on energy thieves. When meter tampering is discovered, the sheriff ’s office is called. The cooperative’s collections department takes members with meter tampering charges on their accounts to small claims court to recover funds if charges are not satisfied in a timely manner. Offenders also face criminal charges. GCEC’s service territory is outfitted with Two-Way Automatic Communication System meters, which alert the co-op if meter tampering is taking place. The result is lower line loss revenue. Tampering instances also are discovered by GCEC employees or are reported by concerned members. When tampering is reported, a line technician goes to the address and checks the meter box. If tampering has occurred, the technician photographs the meter box for proof of the tampering. Typically, the energy thief has cut the meter seal to gain access to the box. The technician then turns the meter off, locks the box with a strong lock rather than a seal, and places a sticker on the box as a reminder that it is illegal to steal energy services. The technician returns to the office with the photographs and the damaged meter seal, if he is able to locate it. With the assistance of office personnel, he completes a report outlining all of the circumstances, attaches photographs and gives it to management for review. The member now owes not only for services consumed, but the review results in a hefty fine that is added to the member’s account. The fine may be higher if the meter was destroyed. What has been accomplished by tampering with the meter? Nothing. GCEC personnel have to take time away from their other duties to deal with this.
Please Report Suspicious Activity to the Co-op Most cases of power theft are caught by the cooperative. However, from time to time, the cooperative receives tips of suspicious activity. If you are aware of power theft, you are encouraged to report it. It is your right and responsibility. Power theft not only creates a dangerous situation, it costs each and every member money.
There is no excuse for meter tampering. It not only is dangerous, but power theft eventually results in higher rates for everyone—not to mention that stealing electricity is a crime. Dangerous Power theft is extremely dangerous. Energy thieves steal power through amateur engineering experiments. These methods have resulted in explosions, shocks, electrocutions and fires leading to personal property damage and even death. Sometimes, the perpetrator may not be injured, but the meter is left in such a hazardous condition that innocent family members, friends and neighbors have been injured. An Arkansas man was killed when trying to reconnect his own power, and a Georgia man tampered with a meter and caused a fire, resulting in the death of his daughter. Dishonest When energy thieves steal power, they not only steal from the cooperative, they steal from everyone who is an honest, paying member. Just as shoplifters cause the price of
Right-of-Way Trimming Necessary to Ensure Safety and Reliability
After GCEC’s meter was removed, the member used pieces of aluminum to receive electricity.
merchandise to rise, energy thieves cause the price of electricity to increase. Utilities lose billions of dollars each year to energy theft. Unfortunately, these costs are passed on to consumers. Illegal Florida Statutes, Chapter 812, address theft, robbery and related crimes, with 812.14 specifically addressing trespass and larceny with relation to utility fixtures. Meter tampering is theft. The statute allows for those discovered to have tampered with a meter to be charged an amount equal to three times the amount of services unlawfully obtained or $3,000, whichever is greater. Most cases of power theft are caught by the cooperative. However, occasionally the cooperative receives tips of suspicious activity. If you are aware of power theft, you are encouraged to report it. It is your right and responsibility. Not only is it creating a dangerous situation, it is costing every member money. n
After being disconnected for nonpayment, a member bypassed Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative’s meter by using jumper wires. The wires melted, damaging the meter.
Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative will continue to clear rights-of-way in Crystal Lake and Fountain during September. GCEC has about 2,600 miles of distribution line. If vegetation comes into contact with power lines, it can interfere with your electric service and cause a dangerous situation. Vegetation must be cleared from power lines to provide reliable electric service and prevent a hazardous condition. When a person signs up to be a member of the cooperative, there is an agreement between the member and GCEC to allow right-of-way maintenance. The agreement gives GCEC the legal right to remove from the right-of-way anything that could interfere with the cooperative’s ability to ensure safe, reliable electric service for all members. If the right-of-way clearance was not maintained, tree limbs and other growth coming into contact with power lines would greatly increase the number of power outages experienced by members. The cooperative tries to work with each landowner to preserve landscaping when maintaining rightsof-way. While most property owners regard trees as an asset, federal law requires GCEC to eliminate hazardous conditions. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work to bring you quality, reliable service. n
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Gulf Coast
Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative Vice President of Marketing and Communications Kristin Evans explains the dangers of acting recklessly around electricity during a Springfield Public Library presentation.
A Safety City Lesson
The energized model city provides a visual representation of what not to do to be safe around electricity. 8
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Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative recently took participants in the Springfield Public Library’s summer reading program to Safety City. Kristin Evans, vice president of marketing and communications for GCEC, demonstrated the dangers of behaving irresponsibly around electricity, using the energized model of a city, complete with a house, fencing, overhead power lines, an underground transformer box, people and vehicles. Main points during the presentation included not flying a kite near overhead power lines, not playing on or around underground transformer boxes, not climbing trees that have branches that may come in contact with overhead power lines and not exiting a vehicle that has come in contact with overhead power lines unless absolutely necessary. Students were taught the proper way to exit a
vehicle that has made contact with overhead power lines if the occupants are in danger and must exit. In addition to the Safety City demonstration, students saw actual line technician gear to gain an understanding of what co-op workers must wear to be in compliance with safety laws while working on power lines. Students saw an electric meter and learned how meters record information that cooperative employees use to calculate electric bills. “The Safety City demonstration gives us an opportunity to teach students not only how electricity travels, but also the dangers of electricity if not used properly,” says Kristin. “By using the Safety City model, students are taught to respect electricity.” n If you are interested in having a cooperative representative visit your school with the Safety City demonstration board, please call the cooperative at 265-3631, 639-2216 or 481-1188.
Gulf Coast
Trading Post For Rent Horse barn with five stalls, paddock and about 4 acres of pasture in Wewahitchka, one block from the old courthouse. Lease by the stall, with discount for multiple horses. (740) 334-0341. Three-bedroom, two-bathroom home in Lynn Haven. Great room with open kitchen and a two-car garage. Large, wooded lot in a quiet neighborhood. $1,265 a month. (850) 271-0289. Three-bedroom, one-bath cabin on 150’ on West Arm Creek. Rent to own. Large screened porch and dock. (850) 814-9780.
For Sale Set of four BF Goodrich G-Force T/A R-20” tires mounted on Enkei 20” rims. Six holes. Removed from Toyota Tundra. $850. (850) 762-4951. Muscadines: Bronze Bullace, Scuppernongs and Scupperdines. Great for snacking, jelly and winemaking. Season through mid-September. Please call (850) 722-4226 for price and availability. Miniature donkeys. Jacks and Jennys, black, brown, gray and paints. All ages. $300 and up. Make great pets. Also standard donkeys. Betty, (850) 899-7424. Quarter horses. Ride well on trails, gentle, good for lessons. (850) 773-1957.
Miscellaneous
dryer vent, clean drains, and lubricate all hinges, locks and doors. Inspect all home equipment including fireplace, fire extinguisher, garage door opener/motor, well pump, and sprinkler system. Free estimates. (850) 722-4619 or (850) 596-2788 or email proactivems@outlook.com for details.
Real Estate Two cleared, joining lots, 135 ft. x 50 ft. each, near post office and stores in Fountain. Make offer. (850) 387-3214. Three-bedroom, one-bath 888-sq.-ft. home on two lots at 1234 7th St. in Southport. $49,500. (317) 254-1984. Three-bedroom, one-bath cabin on 150’ on West Arm Creek. Rent to own or will sell. Large screened porch and dock. (850) 814-9780. FSBO. Two adjacent lots, about 2.5 acres on paved road, 10 miles north of Wewahitchka, 45 minutes from beaches. Borders the Chipola River and Cypress Creek. Cleared and ready to build. Quiet and peaceful; no neighbors. Deeded restrictions. Has underground utilities, deep well and many fruit trees. $69,900. (850) 648-4214. ½-acre corner lot. (850) 639-2220.
Wanted Housekeeper for home in Sand Hills area. One to two days a week. (850) 832-0780.
Complete home maintenance service: replace all filters, clean A/C coils, flush water heater, clean
Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative offices will be closed Monday, September 4, in observance of Labor Day. Have a safe and happy holiday weekend.
Trading Post is a FREE service to members of Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative. GCEC reserves the right to edit or reject ads. PLEASE PRINT LEGIBLY OR TYPE. Please circle the category that applies:
For Rent
For Sale
Real Estate
Free
Miscellaneous
Trade
Wanted
Items:
Name:
Phone:
Address:
City/zip:
Mail your ad to: The Trading Post; Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative; P.O. Box 8370; Southport, FL 32409; return with your electric payment; or email ad information to tradingpost@gcec.com. ** Due to press deadlines, please expect up to 60 days from submission for your advertisement to appear.
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Gulf Coast
You can buy surge protection equipment off the shelf, but you cannot see what is inside. Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative has researched the industry and offers multistage utility-grade equipment to protect your valuable electronics.
Check Out GCEC’s Surge Protection Program Storms can happen any time of the year, so consider surge protection from Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative today. Years ago, our lives were less complicated. We had computers at home, but they were used to send notes to friends and family, and to occasionally “surf the net.” We had video games, but these often were simple systems or handheld devices used to entertain the kids on trips. Today, our lives revolve around technology through advanced computer networks, home automation systems and innovative ways to watch movies directly from the internet through game systems. Internet download speed, wireless 26
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routers and internet bandwidth are common discussion topics. Our day-to-day lives and finances are controlled and managed by our computer system. New technology and electronic equipment can make our lives easier, but can be seriously damaged or destroyed by storms. GCEC can install a surge protection system at your home that virtually eliminates opportunities for a storm-related surge to damage your home and sensitive electronics. An important disclaimer: We are still researching a solution to handle a direct lightning strike at or near your home. Fortunately, such strikes are rare.
The system includes a heavy-duty surge protector that plugs in behind your electric meter and special plug-in surge protectors for your sensitive electronics. Once installed, the system will provide you with peace of mind knowing you have 24/7 protection for your home and sensitive electronics—except in the event of a direct lightning strike. Unfortunately, many customers wait until after they have had surge damage to protect their sensitive electronics. We want to help you. Don’t wait until after you have damage. Call today or visit www.gcec.com now to sign up before the next storm. n
Gulf Coast
Understanding Your Electric Bill Match the numbers on page 29 with the descriptions below to decipher various charges 1. Member ID: This is your membership number and is used for capital credit allocations. 2. Account Name: The name the account is listed under. This person is responsible for the bill. 3. Cycle: The cooperative has multiple billing cycles. This number determines when when an account is billed. 4. Route: The cooperative has multiple electric routes. Routes are assigned based on the physical location of the service. 5. Type of Bill: Distinguishes among types of bills. 6. Pull: Special handling code for official use. 7. Bill Date: The date a bill was created and mailed. 8. Statement ID: Number assigned to each bill to distinguish it in the billing system. 9. Service Address: The physical location where service is provided. 10. Map Number: Number in the co-op’s internal mapping system that helps line technicians locate an electric service. 11. Account Number: The number used by the cooperative to identify accounts. 12. Previous Balance: Amount on the previous bill. 13. Payments: Payments posted to an account prior to the current bill date. 14. Charges: Charges on the current bill. 15. Adjustments: Adjustments made to an account prior to the current bill date. 16. Amount Due: Amount owing and when. 17. Type Service: Distinguishes among types of service. 18. Meter Number: The number assigned to the meter the co-op placed at a location. 19. Service Date: Shows last month’s and this month’s meter-reading dates; dates for which electricity use is being billed. 20. No. Days: Number of days for which use is being billed. This number may vary 28
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slightly from month to month depending on the number of days in the month and holidays. 21. Meter Readings: Indicates the meter reading from the previous month compared to the meter reading for the present month. 22. Multiplier: The multiplier is programmed into the meter. Readings are multiplied by this number to calculate the total use. The normal multiplier for residential electric service is 1. 23. Meter Usage: The amount used during a billing period. To calculate: (Present Meter Reading – Previous Meter Reading) x Multiplier = Use. Use is applied to the rate to determine a monthly bill. 24. Rate Code: Indicates the rate schedule applied to the service location. Rate code “A” means residential or general service. 25. Demand and Energy Charge: A charge to help GCEC cover the operating expense of delivering energy to members. Currently, each residential customer pays .1071 cents per kilowatt-hour used. 26. Facilities Charge: This fixed monthly charge of $30 for residential members covers costs associated with ensuring electricity is accessible to members on demand. This charge has been a part of our rates for years. 27. Helping Hands: If you contribute to the Project Helping Hand program each month, you will see your donation here. You may contribute $1, $3 or $5 a month. 28. Surge Protection: This charge is for surge protection. You may lease surge protection for $5 a month. Please contact the co-op’s marketing department if you are interested in leasing surge protection. 29. 175-Watt New Energy – Residential @ $11: This charge is for an outdoor light. Please contact the co-op if you are interested in an outdoor light.
30. Gross Receipts: This tax is assessed to every bill from the state of Florida. 31. Bay State Sales Tax: This is where you see county sales tax reflected on your bill. 32. Florida State Sales Tax: This is where you see state sales tax reflected on your bill. 33. Message Center: GCEC uses this section to communicate with members. This section often includes important information about your bill, so be sure to check this area every month. 34. Your Electricity Use Over the Past 13 Months: A quick reference that shows the past 13-month history of your electric account. 35. Amount Due Now: This is the amount due to the cooperative by the due date. 36. Amount Due After: This is the amount due to the cooperative if paid after the date indicated. 37. Delinquent Reminder: This is a reminder that if the cooperative generates a delinquent reminder notice for you, an administration fee of $1 will be charged to your account to offset the cost of the reminder. 38. Write in the amount paid and check appropriate payment method. Detach this portion of the bill and return it with your payment. Refer to the back of your bill for additional payment methods.
We hope this answers any questions you have about your bill. For more assistance, please call our Panama City office at 481-1188, our Southport office at 265-3631 or our Wewahitchka office at 639-2216. One of our member service representatives will be happy to help you.
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Member ID Account Name Cycle Route Type of Bill Pull Bill Date JOHNEQ.GILCHRIST PUBLIC 830907002 GARY 5 E11 REGULAR N 11/10/2014 123456789 Statement ID Map Number 10 9 987654321 3344550 26609010 RD 3956105 12347120 MAINFONZA ST Account Nbr Previous Balance Payments Charges Adjustments Amount Due 123456700 136333 .00 12 373.29 13 ( 375.00) 14 314.43 15 16 312.72 Type Meter Service Date No. Meter Readings Meter Multiplier Rate Service Number From To Days Previous Current Usage 20 31 33333333 Electric 18 115318803 09/30/20141910/31/2014 51768 21 54152 1.00 22 2384 23 A
Current Charges
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10/28/14 Payment -- Thank You 11/10/14 2384 KWH @0.1071 26 11/10/14 Facilities Charge 11/10/14 Surge Protection 11/10/14 Helping Hands $5 27 11/10/14 1--175 Watt New Energy - Residential @ 11.00 11/10/14 Gross Receipts 11/10/14 Bay State Sales Tax 31 11/10/14 State Sales Tax
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( 375.00) 255.33 30.00 5.00 5.00 11.00 7.48 0.05 0.57
28 30
If you're aware of a malfunctioning streetlight on our lines, let us know. Simply inform us of the location, and we'll make sure it's repaired.
Compare
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This Month Last Month A Year Ago
No. Days
Total KWH
Avg KWH
31 32 31
2384 3105 1807
77 97 58
35
TOTAL AMOUNT DUE NOW Amount due After 12/8/2014
36
33
$312.72 $327.72
Your Electricity use over the past 13 Months
3000 2500 2000 1500 1000 500 0
2013 Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct 2014
“If you elect to pay your bill after the due date below, a delinquent reminder notice will automatically be generated, and a delinquent administration fee of $1.00 will be applied to your next bill to offset the postage, printing and handling cost of this notice.”
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Please Detach and return this portion with your payment. Please do not staple or paperclip.
GULF COAST ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE ,INC. P.O. Box 220 WEWAHITCHKA, FL 32465-0220
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RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED Service Address 7120 1234 MAIN STRD FONZA
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9
Account No 11 123456700 136333 Route Cycle
5 Billing Date
11/10/2014 Total Due
7 - 1755
JOHN GARYQ.EPUBLIC GILCHRIST 1234 ST RD 7120 MAIN FONZA YOUR TOWN, FL 000000000 PANAMA CITY FL 32409-1231
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Statement ID 987654321 26609010 Map Number 3344550 3956105
E11
8 10
Amount Due By Amount Due After
11/30/2014 $312.72
Payment Cash Check Method
35
Other
12/8/2014 $327.72
Amount Paid
36 38
GULF COAST ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE ,INC. P.O. Box 220 WEWAHITCHKA, FL 32465-0220
ATTTTAFTDTADFAAAFDTTFTTADADAAFAATADDDTDDDFFFFATTFDTTFDTTADDAFTDTT 11102014000002660901000000312720
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FL-154
Offices 722 West Highway 22 P. O. Box 220 Wewahitchka, FL 32465 (850) 639-2216 or (800) 333-9392 9434 Highway 77 P. O. Box 8370 Southport, FL 32409 (850) 265-3631 or (800) 568-3667 6243 East Highway 98 Panama City, FL 32404 Phone: (850) 481-1188 www.gcec.com
CEO/General Manager John Bartley
Trustees President Waylon Graham Vice President Jimmy Black Secretary Eddie Jones Treasurer Rupert Brown Doug Birmingham Robert Byrd Gary Cox Kinneth Daniels Betty Moore Trustees normally meet the third Tuesday of each month at 12:30 p.m. CST. The board meets at the Wewahitchka office in even-numbered months (February, April, June, August, October and December) and the Southport office in odd-numbered months (January, March, May, July, September and November). The mission of GCEC: Fulfilling the changing needs of our membership and communities by providing cost effective, reliable and safe utility services through a dedicated and responsive workforce. 32
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GCEC President’s Message
Saving Starts With System Maintenance Heating and cooling is the largest energy expense in the average U.S. home, accounting for about 48 percent of energy bills. No matter what kind of system you have, you can save money and increase your comfort by properly maintaining your equipment. You can save the most money and increase comfort with a whole-house approach. Combine appropriate heating and cooling techniques with insulation and air sealing. Like any machine, your heating and cooling system will operate better when properly maintained. Seasonal maintenance keeps equipment running safely and efficiently, saving you money. The best Waylon Graham time for maintenance is right before extreme temperatures hit. • Clean or change the air filter. If you only make one tune-up, this should be it. A dirty filter slows down airflow and makes the system work harder to keep you warm or cool, wasting energy. A clean filter prevents dust and dirt from building up in the system, leading to expensive maintenance and/or early system failure. Wash your reusable filter or replace your disposable filter once per month. • Clear the area around the outdoor unit. Keep vegetation at least 2 feet away from the unit so it is free to pull in air. This includes raking up leaves in the fall. • Schedule a check-up. Just as a tune-up for your car can improve gas mileage, a yearly tune-up of your heating and cooling system can improve efficiency and comfort. Some parts of a thorough annual check-up require disassembling the unit, so call a service technician for a quick, professional check-up. The technician will clear the drain and clean both outdoor and indoor units. A clogged drain can waste nearly as much energy as a dirty filter because your unit has to work harder to send out less air. The technician will clean the fan blades to keep the outdoor condenser fan running efficiently. Removing dust and other buildup from the indoor evaporator coil will maintain the unit’s ability to cool the heat moving through it in summer. • Consider an upgrade. If your unit is more than 10 years old, you may benefit from replacing it with a new energy-efficient heat pump. Today’s heating and cooling systems use up to 40 percent less energy than those made just 10 years ago. If possible, install your new unit in the shade, which can allow it to run 10 percent more efficiently in the summer. Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative’s Heat Pump Rebate Program provides rebates of up to $600 per ton to residential members who upgrade their heat pumps to a more energy-efficient model. The program is our way of rewarding your efforts to use energy more efficiently. Gulf Coast Electric works with members to maximize their energy dollars. For us, saving starts here. We value your membership. We value you. n