President’s Message – July 2024

Grow Your Summer Energy Savings

Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative (GCEC) Can Help You Save Money

1 of my favorite things about summer is the opportunity for fresh, homegrown food, whether shopping at the local farmers market or sharing the abundance of garden tomatoes with a neighbor. It’s amazing how just a few seeds, some fertilizer, and water can become a bounty.

When I think about energy efficiency, I think about that bounty of food and how you can use less electricity with just a few simple actions and reap the rewards of energy savings.

You don’t need to be a farmer or botanist to know plants need water—just like you don’t have to be a lineworker or engineer to know adjusting the thermostat or turning off lights can reduce your monthly electric bill. If you read Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative’s publications regularly and follow us on Facebook, you know there are many things you can do at home to save electricity and money.

Summer months bring some of the highest energy bills of the year. But why? Cooling your home accounts for a large portion of your monthly energy use, and the hotter it gets, the harder (and longer) your air conditioner must work to keep you cool.

There are several ways we can help you manage energy use at home—not only during the dog days of summer but throughout the year. 1 of the great things about being part of GCEC is we’re locally owned by you, our members. So, instead of making profits, we can focus on helping our community. That’s why we’ve developed incentives and programs to help you keep your money in your wallet.

Save money with these easy incentives:

• Rebates. GCEC offers ways to give you money back for efficient equipment you buy, like heat pumps and water heaters.
• Recycling. If you have an old refrigerator or freezer running but not used much, it’s costing you. Consider recycling it.
• Free energy audits. Our energy adviser can determine the overall efficiency of your home and help you find ways to improve it.
• Taking control of your use. Use our app or website to track your energy use.
• Varied ways to pay. If you’re having difficulty paying the higher bills that come with increased use in the summer, contact us to learn about our levelized billing or FlexPay.

Most people don’t know everything about electricity, and that’s why we’re here to help you. There are no investors making profits here. Just knowledgeable people with local jobs, working for our neighbors to ensure electricity is available when you need it. Contact us, and we can work with you to find more ways to save energy—and money.