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We wish you a Merry Christmas and

may your New Year be filled with love, laughter, brightness

and hope.

Your SECO family

December 2014

We talk a great deal about customer service and how important that is to the cooperative business model. Some SECO members, including newer ones, might not realize what customer service really means at their co-op.

Here are some prime examples of what we mean:

1First, an important component of good customer service is striving to make sure that your power is available at the switch when you need it. Our employees work very hard to make sure that your power supply is as reliable as humanly possible; that your outages

are kept to a minimum and that your electric service is restored quickly if an outage were to occur. During Florida’s storm season, SECO has one of the most comprehensive emergency response plans in the state. Anyone who has gone through a hurricane or tropical storm here in the past few years is aware of just how proactive the co-op’s response is to such weather-related phenomenon.

2Secondly, customer service at SECO means keeping your cost of electricity as low as possible. That’s challenging when you consider that a full 70% of the cost of your power bill goes solely to pay for the power we purchase on your behalf. SECO gets no operational

revenue from that 70%. Still, we have managed to keep the co-op in good financial condition and have kept your cost for power very competitive.

3In the third instance, when we do our annual assessment of the co-op’s fiscal condition, any excess revenues we may have are shared with the members in the form of capital credits. That sharing is unique to the co-op business model. This year saw capital credits

returned to the members in the amount of $4.2 million. In the last 19 years, SECO has given back over $32 million in capital credits to its members.

4In the fourth instance, while many utilities have closed their satellite customer service offices, SECO has chosen not to do that. We think it’s important to have a presence in the primary counties we serve. It makes it more convenient for members to

interact directly with SECO employees on a wide variety of matters. For that same reason, we have a call center where members can talk to a live human being. The call center is right here at the Sumterville headquarters. It is not overseas or contracted out to some other part of the country.

Customer Serviceis Priority #1

Customer Serviceis Priority #1

How much do you know about your electric cooperative?1. ________ is a popular program aimed at improving the human con-dition in SECO’s service territory. By signing up for Pennies from Heaven, you help those in need.

2. A line ________ is the person that responds in the middle of the night in case your power goes out.

3. Our energy services department has a “Power Posse” available to survey your home and help with recommendations on energy savings at home. If interested in home energy savings you can request a free ________ audit.

4. SECO has placed seven ________ or electronic boxes throughout our service territory to assist you when

paying your electric bill via check, cash, or debit/credit card. Banks have them too.

5. A convenient Storm Center located at www.secostormcenter.com can be used to report, verify, or get a summary of major power outages caused by a ________ in SECO’s service territory.

6. SECO is one of 749 member/owned electric cooperatives affiliated with ________ Energy.

7. Every excavation in your yard requires a phone call so it is important to call 811 before you_______.

8. Applications to win a $3,000 ________ are available for graduating high school students who are at the top of their class, live in a home serviced by SECO, and are in need of financial assistance.

9. Last month, $4.2 million in ________ credits were returned to our members.

10. The Co-op Connections card program provides a way for members to receive discounts on prod-ucts and services from participating local and national ________.

Clues: Angel Fund, technician, energy, kiosks, storm, Touchstone, dig, scholarship, capital, businesses, 8012717901

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TOP 10 ENERGY-SAVING TIPS TOP 10 ENERGY-SAVING TIPS for a happy holiday season (just for fun)

10. Ask Santa for ENERGY STAR® rated appliances & CFLs.

9. Skip the electronics and get the kids board games instead.

8. Do not preheat the oven when cooking large pieces of meat.

7. Lower thermostats and replace HVAC filters every 30 days.

6. Check windows and doors for leaks and seal them.

5. Install timers on outdoor lighting displays.

4. Follow Scrooge’s example and skip the holidays (not recommended for children).

3. Decorate with LED lights.

2. Adjust power settings on video game consoles to the power- saving feature.

1. Don’t invite people to your house; visit others and use their electricity.

TOP 10 ENERGY-SAVING TIPS Money-Saving ConnectionsCo-op Connections business promotions:Arden Place Apartments in Lady Lake is offering two move-in gifts when signing a 12-month lease.

Daily’s Deli is providing a free drink with the purchase of a sandwich. The deli is located south of SECO’s headquarters in Sumterville on US Hwy 301.

For a local listing of participating businesses and for national deals, sign-in to www.connections.coop using your zip code.

tips & quips about our environment and its inhabitants

NATURE’S reflectionsFlorida’s Purple GallinuleA colorful and graceful wading birdFlorida’s native Purple Gallinule (Porphyrio martini-ca), is a brightly colored member of the rail family and a common resident found throughout Florida’s wetlands, swamps, ponds, lakes and freshwater marshes. It is some-times called a “swamp hen” because its clucking and cack-ling sounds are similar to those made by a chicken. It can be seen walking lightly across lily pads, using its incredibly long toes for support, without ever disturbing the water. Later, using its feet as propellers, it glides about gracefully on the surface of the water. In flight, the Purple Gallinule displays a slow and awkward flight pattern.

The mature bird stands 12-to-14 inches tall. It is easily identified by its striking purple to violet-blue plumage and iridescent green back. Its “candy corn” red and yellow bill, long toes, and yellow feet also make it stand out. In addi-tion, it has a pale blue forehead shield and white undertail. The wingspan of an adult is about 20 inches and it weighs about 8 ounces. Females are smaller than males, but oth-erwise have a similar appearance.

The Purple Gallinule is omnivorous, eating a wide variety of both plant and animal matter including seeds, leaves, and fruits of both aquatic and terrestri-al plants, as well as insects, frogs, snails, spiders, earthworms, small fish, and even the eggs of other birds. Its breeding habi-tat is warm swamps and marshes in the southeastern Unit-ed States as well as the tropical regions of Central America and the Caribbean.

The female lays 5 to 10 eggs, buff with brown spots, in a nest placed on a floating structure in a clump of sawgrass or in a thicket. Both parents incubate the eggs and feed the chicks. Purple Gallinules work together while they are nesting, using a “changing of the guard” type ritual. One partner brings the mate incubating the eggs a leaf. The bird on the nest adds the leaf to the nest before turning incubation duties over to the other gallinule. Chicks are covered with black down. Once fledged, juveniles are a brownish-olive color. Purple Gallinules live in family groups. The older young help feed the new clutch and de-fend the territory. �− photos and column by Sandi Staton – sandi.staton@gmail.com

...Customer Service concluded

5In the fifth instance, your co-op has made it a top priority to help you save on your energy bill. We have one of the most aggressive customer outreach programs in the utility

world. Our energy services specialists are available to do personal in-home energy audits and make recommendations on how you can save energy. And, they are not pie-in-the-sky recommendations. It is professional advice that is practical and certainly within the reach of most homeowners. This same group is available for presentations on energy savings and many other topics for church groups, service clubs and any number of other organizations. And, our energy expo trailer is brought to community events so that members can get advice directly from the experts on how they may lower their bill and conserve resources at the same time.

6In the sixth instance, we believe that good two-way communication between the mem-bers and their co-op is vitally important. Our publications and website www.secoenergy.com

are aimed at giving members access to a wealth of information about their co-op and how they can benefit from co-op programs. Likewise, we strive to respond in a timely manner to each and every inqui-ry a member makes, whether that is the result of a phone call, an e-mail, a letter or a note.

While these are examples of what we mean when we talk about customer service, they are by no means the only examples. Because SECO is a not-for-profit, member-owned utility, the focus is always on you and how we can best serve you. We wouldn’t have it any other way.

C t S i l d dCC t S i l d d

Happy Holidays

Happy New

Year…

Here’s a chance to express yourselfSECO Energy’s Corporate CommunicationsPO Box 301 · Sumterville, Florida · 33585-0301

webmaster@secoenergy.com

I appreciated your article on birds in the SECO newsletter. I was particularly interested in getting more information on Florida’s Great Birding Trail. I live in Ocala and am not aware of any local bird clubs or other activities. Appreciate any information you can give me at your convenience.

Jack C. GrosskopfOcala, FL

[Editors note: Thanks for the kudos on last months nature’s reflections. You can find more than you can imagine at: http://floridabirdingtrail.com with links to locations, maps, etc. Ocala and Marion County are listed in the “East” trail locations.]

Ray F. VickPresident • District 5

Jerry D. Hatfi eldVice President • District 9

James D. HoltzSecretary-Treasurer • District 4

Scott D. BoyattDistrict 1

Dillard B. BoyattDistrict 2

Richard J. BellesDistrict 3

Earl MuffettDistrict 6

Rob HenionDistrict 7

Bill JamesDistrict 8

Jim DuncanCEO & General Manager

SECO’s Board of Trustees will meet on Monday,

December 15th at 2:30 p.m. in the Corporate Offi ces located at 330 South US Highway 301

in Sumterville. A Trustees’ meeting will also be held on January 26, 2015.

SECO 24/7 Job Hotline(855) 483-2673

SECO TRUSTEES

Planting a Christmas MemoryCelebrating Christmas is a worldwide holiday and many families who celebrate Christmas gather around the Christmas tree for gift giving. The most popular trees for the festivities are the fir. There are over 48 species of fir trees and every year about 35 million are grown in the U.S. for adornment. If you are considering buying a live tree for decorating and planting after the holidays, it will take some planning.

First, decide what variety will look attractive in the home and grow well in the backyard. Common types of fir trees conducive to the Florida environ-ment are red cedar, Leyland cypress, sand pine, Norfolk pine, and Carolina Sapphire. Next, determine where the best place is to plant the tree. Ask yourself, is there room for growth? How wide and tall will it get? Will overhead electric lines become a problem after growth? Should I call Sun-shine 811 before I dig? Some fir trees like the Leyland cypress, have grown as high as 100 feet, so consider the surrounding depending on the species.

Upon purchasing, check the health of the tree. Look for good color, a strong, moist root system, branch flexibility, and needle retention. Han-dle with care while transporting. Keep the tree outdoors as long as pos-sible before moving it indoors. Properly acclimating the tree helps avoid stress by placing it in the garage, lanai, or shed first. And do the reverse by easing it into the cooler, damper climate before planting. A maximum of seven days indoors is recommended by the professionals.

While the tree is indoors, stay clear of heat vents, space heaters, or stoves. The indoors is a much dryer environment so water regularly, however do not over water. Simply insert your finger to the knuckle for a moisture check; if the soil is dry, water the tree.

When planting, dig the hole two to three times wider than the root ball, but no deeper. Remove plastic or burlap and loosen the root system. Wa-ter the hole thoroughly; place the root ball in the center of the hole. Fill with leftover dirt being sure not to pack it too tightly. Water again then cover with mulch, which helps retain the moisture. Water your newly planted tree once a day for the first two weeks and after that once a week for the first year.

There is nothing like spending time with your family and friends around the Christmas tree, planting a memory and watching it grow.