SECO blames switch to LED technology for increase in rates - Villages-News
SECO blames switch to LED technology for increase in rates - Villages-News.com
SECO Energy is blaming the switch to LED technology for an increase in rates.
The energy cooperative, headquartered in Sumterville, serves more than 240,000 homes and businesses in seven Central Florida counties, including 62,000 families and commercial accounts in The Villages.
“As a member of a cooperatively structured utility, individuals and businesses share in the benefits and costs of SECO Energy through their energy purchases and additional energy services. Unfortunately, material costs and supply chain shortages, particularly in LED lighting fixtures and poles, have necessitated the need for the cooperative to increase the monthly rate for lighting service that went into effect on May 1. These increases are a direct result of the industry’s shift towards LED technology, which is more efficient and longer lasting, but also more expensive,” SECO said in news release.
SECO warned it will also enact a more substantial increase in pole rental costs for lighting that will go into effect in October of this year.
Related Knowledge Center: ENERGY BASICS: energy efficiency
The energy price spikes of the 1970s drove consumers, businesses and government to calculate opportunities for energy efficiency — investments, practices, and regulations to avoid some of the energy costs associated with particular products or services. Those calculations ran counter to a lot of engrained practices, and the friction between business and government is a feature of energy and environment policy discussions. Now, energy efficiency decisions — whether involving building practices, appliance efficiency, or vehicle mileage and emissions standards — are a complex mix of government regulation and market behavior.