The Villages Environmental Club explored the topic of energy savings at their monthly meeting on Wednesday at SeaBreeze Recreation Center.
Ryon Meyers, a SECO Key Accounts Commercial Consultant, was the guest speaker. Meyers, has been with SECO, a member-owned power company, for more than 20 years following his Navy career. With SECO he was first a lineman, then an engineer and now works as a consultant for commercial accounts. SECO provides electricity to approximately 85 percent of Villages residents.
Chairman of the Environmental Club Jim Clark introduced Meyers to the club attendees. Meyers then began his Power Point program on energy saving tips and entertained many questions.
Air conditioning and heating is the biggie when it comes to your electric bill, accounting for about 55 percent of your usage. Meyers gave the following suggestions regarding air conditioning. Have your system serviced annually, by a certified technician or business. Also, a proper inspection includes coming into your house.
“Be wary of the offer, you don’t even need to be home, I can just drive by anytime and do an inspection,” said Meyers.
Asked about fluctuating the temperature on the thermostat, Meyers responded, “Set it and forget it, I have never seen that system beat by man turning it up and down.”
Also, on the subject of air conditioning, Meyers recommended if you are going to be out of town for more than two weeks if you have a humidistat to set it on 83.
Ceiling fans came up as a question. Meyers responded, “Fans cool you, not the house. Turn fans off when you are not home.” For lanais the mini-split systems are the most efficient.
He also recommended regular changing of filters. He offered a website where customers can purchase filters at a cost savings – www.filterchange.coop.
Another thing to be aware of is ductwork leaking. If you are experiencing uneven room temperatures, increased energy bills, unpleasant interior orders or increased dust or dampness, you should get your ductwork checked.
He also gave some tips on kitchen refrigerators. Freezers are most efficient when they are full; refrigerators need about 30 percent of open space. Check door seals to make sure they are really tight, and do not wash seals with bleach.
He also noted you save 50 cents a load, by washing your clothes in cold water.
The company offers the following services to their customers free of charge: energy audits, high usage inquires, infrared audits and questions answered either on-line or by talking with a person.
Asked about the automated phone system, Meyers responded, “If you hit ‘0’ you will always get a person, we have a lot of folks in our call center, Overall we have about 400 employees and at least 50 of them are in the call center.” If you schedule an energy audit, a technician will come to your home.
Meyers recommends talking to someone at SECO before making a big change such as replacing your air conditioning or adding solar. They do not recommend companies, but can help inform the customer and make sure they know what questions to ask.
Many questions came up regarding solar energy, although only about 7 percent of SECO customers are currently using solar. SECO serves as the ‘battery’ in the case of solar when the customer is depleted and SECO buys back energy when the solar system ‘over produces.’ Currently SECO buys back at seven cents on the dollar. The reason is that SECO purchases their electricity from Seminole Electric and that accounts for 70 percent of their operating costs, the other 30 percent is administrative costs.
The Villages Environmental Club meets monthly on the third Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. at SeaBreeze with a mission to promote awareness, good stewardship and recycling.
April will be the exception to their regular schedule. The club will be participating in the Earth Day activities at Lake Sumter on April 22.
Clark invites all interested to attend their May meeting. They will have a representative from a local solar company to give an informational presentation.
“Not a sales pitch,” said Clark “This will be a good meeting for anyone interested in learning more about solar energy.”