SECO News
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APRIL 201 7
DUNCAN’S DIGEST
SUBSTATION BUZZ When I first started working in the energy industry, I was convinced that the linemen had their own language and it wasn’t English. As a financial guy, industry terms like “feeder,” “backfeed,” and “stepup and step-down,” frankly didn’t make much sense. But, as my career continued and I became engrossed in energy, I now use these terms and more on a regular basis. I thought it might be interesting for you to have more insight into the energy industry at Jim Duncan, CEO SECO. Substations are a visible and integral part of our nation’s electric grid. If you think of a generating plant as the brains of the operation, then substations are the heart. Substations serve many functions, transforming high-voltage to low-voltage or vice versa as power flows through them – almost instantaneously.
Substations are an essential component of the grid’s connection as the link between the transmission and distribution portions of an electric system. Substations are key to performing electric system maintenance and balancing the flow of power during irregular operations.
How do the components of the grid work together? As a SECO member, the electricity you use is created at Seminole Electric (a generation and transmission cooperative) power plant and then supplied to a transmission substation near the plant. The transmission substation increases or “stepsup” the voltage in order for the generated power to travel hundreds of miles via large transmission lines to a SECO substation. Upon arrival, voltage is decreased or stepped-down and sent on its way in multiple directions through SECO’s distribution lines. Along the distribution lines, additional transformers decrease the voltage again before it is ready to energize the homes and businesses SECO serves. 220014 The SECO and Seminole connected electric grid can be thought of as a highway system. Generating DIGEST cont. on page 3… “HIDDEN” ACCOUNT NUMBERS
Don’t forget to look for the last six digits of your account number in this month’s SECO News. You can email us at customerservice@ secoenergy.com or call if your number appears. Six winners will be drawn at random from all submissions. Winners receive a $25 restaurant gift card.
WAYS TO PAY SECO offers members several convenient ways to pay your monthly energy bill. Whether you stop by, drive-thru or log in – SECO has a payment option that is right for you. Pay online with SmartHub – available online or via mobile application, SmartHub is a tech savvy member’s preferred payment choice. Using SmartHub, members can view and pay their bill, enroll in bank draft, update account information and compare energy usage by month or year. Pay by Bank Draft – Seasonal members appreciate the convenience of having their monthly bill automatically drafted from a bank account of their choice. Thousands of others depend on bank draft to keep their account current with little effort on their part. Sign up through SmartHub today. Pay in Person – SECO’s five Member Service Centers have walk-in and drive-thru access available. Some offices have payment kiosks available 24/7 that accept cash, debit and credit cards. Your Bank’s Online Bill Payment – You can also choose to pay your energy bill through your bank’s online bill payment system. When setting up the payment, have your bill available to enter the key information like the account number and SECO’s payment address. My Way PrePay – The program is perfect for SECO members on a budget. Members who enroll in My Way PrePay pay for their energy before use. Register with SmartHub and pay online, by phone or through a kiosk. No deposit required.
Pay by Mail – Members can mail their monthly payments to: SECO Energy P.O. Box 31634 Tampa, FL 33631-3634. Pay by Phone – Call 1-877371-9382 24 hours a day, seven days a week to pay by Visa, MasterCard, Discover, debit card or electronic check. Pay Now – Need to make a quick one-time payment now? PayNow (a quick feature of SmartHub) is available for members to pay online without actually registering for a SmartHub account. Fidelity Xpresspay – Pay your SECO bill through a Fidelity Xpresspay location in Central Florida. For a list of payment centers call 1-800-621-8030 or visit www.fidelityexpress.com. Processing time is approximately two days. This payment option is not recommended for MyWay PrePay members or those who have received a disconnect notice. There is a $1.50 processing fee per payment. MoneyGram – Another option available is MoneyGram. MoneyGram has locations in Central Florida and is recommended for MyWay PrePay members who aren’t using SmartHub. Visit www.moneygram.com to learn more or find a location near you. There is a $1.50 processing fee per payment.
VISIT US ONLINE at www.SECOEnergy.com>MyAccount>WaystoPayMyBill to explore SECO’s ways to pay, find an office location or sign up for SmartHub. 300015
ENERGY ESTIMATOR WINNERS Congratulations to our three Energy Estimator Contest winners. John and Barbara Gardner of The Villages are the winners of the $300 bill credit. Bruce McClain of Ocala is the winner of the energy efficiency tools and John Baccoli, also of Ocala, won the programmable Wi-Fi thermostat. 005000 Want to learn more about energy efficiency and lowering your bills? Visit SECOEnergy. com>EnergySolutions and calculate your monthly and yearly energy usage on a variety of appliances and electronics with the Energy Estimator. Interested in an in-depth audit of your home’s energy efficiency? On the website Contact Us page, request a free in-home energy audit with one of SECO’s trained Energy Specialists or if you are short on time, explore the Home Energy Assessment, a comprehensive online energy audit you can complete in the comfort of your home.
DIGEST from page 1…
plants, transmission lines, substations and distribution lines are all connected – which is a benefit to you. Interconnection allows other substations to pick up load when another substation or distribution line is in high demand. This keeps the energy flowing freely and uniformly on the grid. Interconnected substations in our service area allow SECO’s Operations crews to restore power quickly and safely to members. When a substation or major line (that we refer to as a feeder) suffers an outage, SECO’s System Control Coordinators can use the interconnected grid to program another substation to pick up the load or “backfeed” service to the meters that lost power. System Control Coordinators also use backfeeding to keep SECO members in service when a substation, transmission or distribution line requires routine maintenance. 691401 At the heart of SECO’s 2,000-square mile territory, are the 48 substations that supply power to almost 200,000 SECO members. SECO owns, inspects and maintains over 12,000 miles of electric lines that represent an almost 800-million-dollar investment. According to the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (Jefferson Lab), electricity moves almost as fast as the speed of light – about 173,000 miles per second. When you turn on a light in your home, the power to run
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that light was actually created less than one second ago. Last year, you and your fellow members consumed over 3.239 billion, yes billion, kilowatt hours. Providing safe, reliable electric service to members is one of our top priorities. And our expertly designed, soundly built, wellmaintained, sophisticated system allows us to do just that. On behalf of myself and 400+ SECO employees, it is our pleasure serving as your energy provider.
SAFETY CORNER
CALL 811 – BEFORE YOU DIG
Spring is here, the sun is shining and it’s time to update your landscaping. Before you dig, call 811 – it’s the law. 811 is a free service that locates and marks the underground lines on your property. Don’t be caught unaware, cause an accident or an outage – call 811 before you dig.
FLORIDA’S LIVE OAK • One of the most majestic trees of the South The huge old Florida live oaks (Quercus virginiana) draped in Spanish moss, are among the most magnificently beautiful trees. Standing forty to fifty feet in height, they grow in a variety of soils. These long-lived, pest-free trees are among our most valuable and historic shade trees. The Spanish moss and resurrection ferns grow on live oak branches but are not harmful to the trees. Loved by some and disliked by others, these three plants have historically grown together in harmony. Many of the largest live oaks are actually registered and thought to be more than two hundred years old. As a native hardwood, the live oak ranks the heaviest – weighing 55 pounds per cubic foot when air dry (75 pounds per cubic foot, fresh weight). These trees are known for their resistance to disease and incredible density. Periodic pruning helps to decrease the tremendous weight of the branches and keeps the tree from splitting under its own weight. 252012 Today, the live oak is a prized shade tree. In past centuries, the trees were used to build naval ships. In 1828, the United States set aside 1,300 acres of land in the Florida Panhandle known as the Naval
Live Oaks, which is now part of the National Park Service. Among the ships constructed from live oaks were the revolutionary privateer the Hancock, “Old Ironsides” herself – USS Constitution, and the USS Constellation, built in the 1790s. The wood was also used for: cart hubs, axles, screws and cogs of mill wheels, waterwheels, pilings. The wood is attractive for use as furniture or flooring, but proves to be too hard to work and finish easily. When planting, leave a lot of room for growth. The key is not to plant them too close together, or in areas likely to suffer road, building or power line construction. In January–February, live oaks shed their leaves when the old leaves are actually pushed off by the new growth. Acorns mature in September through October, average 390 per pound and germinate soon after falling. Acorns are favored by all kinds of wildlife and are of great nutritional value to many birds and mammals. Column & photos by Sandi Staton – sandi.staton@gmail.com
BOARD OF TRUSTEES Ray F. Vick
Dillard B. Boyatt
Jerry D. Hatfield
Richard J. Belles
President, District 5 Vice President District 9
Robin R. Henion
Secretary-Treasurer District 7
Scott D. Boyatt District 1
District 2 District 3
Richard Dennison District 4
The Board of Trustees will meet on Monday, March 27, at 2:30 p.m. in the Corporate Offices at 330 South US HWY 301 in Sumterville. A Trustees’ meeting will also be held on Monday, April 17, 2017.
Earl Muffett
2 4 / 7 Jo b Ho tl i n e: (855) 483-2673 www.secoenergyjobs.com
Bill James
Report an Outage: (800) 732-6141 www.secostormcenter.com
District 6 District 8
SECO Energy is an equal opportunity provider and employer.