SECO Energy (Sumter Electric Cooperative) Rate Selection Guide
SECO Energy (Sumter Electric Cooperative) is a member-owned, not-for-profit electric distribution cooperative serving more than 250,000 accounts across seven Central Florida counties. It offers strong self-service data access — Honeywell AMI 15-minute interval data, Green Button Download My Data, and a SmartHub portal — making it a good fit for C&I energy teams.
SECO Energy (Sumter Electric Cooperative) Rate Schedule Comparison
| Schedule | Type | Rate | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS | Commercial | 11.52¢/kWh + ~$1.07-$1.40/day | Small commercial under 50 kW / 10,000 kWh |
| GSD | Commercial | 9.05¢/kWh + $5.95/kW + $2.67/day | Mid-size commercial at/above 50 kW |
| GSDI | Industrial | 9.40¢/kWh; $13.50/kW only if not curtailed | Demand customers able to curtail on request |
| LGSD | Industrial | 8.489¢/kWh + $5.75/kW + $11.67/day | Large loads at/above 7,500 kW |
Market Overview
Member-owned distribution cooperative. No retail choice or community choice aggregation. Rates approved by the Board of Trustees (cost-of-service basis) with FPSC oversight on select matters. Bills include a Wholesale Power Cost Adjustment passed through from Seminole Electric. Net margins returned to members as capital credits (over $80M returned since 1938).
Need to pull your actual usage data to compare rates? See the SECO Energy (Sumter Electric Cooperative) Data Access Guide →
Current Rate Schedules
Rates verified directly from SECO's filed Rate Tariff (effective October 1, 2025). Non-residential customers progress from General Service (GS) to General Service Demand (GSD) at 50 kW / 10,000 kWh, with interruptible (GSDI) and large (LGSD, 7,500 kW+) options for bigger loads. All schedules are subject to the Wholesale Power Cost Adjustment. A 9.17% total system increase was approved March 31, 2025.
Effective: October 1, 2025 · Full Tariff Book →
| Schedule | Type | Applicability | Structure | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GS — General Service | commercial | Non-residential light/power service where monthly usage is below 50 kW demand and 10,000 kWh (does not meet GSD criteria). | Daily customer charge plus a flat energy charge; no demand charge. Subject to Wholesale Power Cost Adjustment. | Energy 11.52¢/kWh; Customer Charge $1.07/day (single phase) or $1.40/day (three phase)+ None (non-demand schedule) |
| GSD — General Service Demand | commercial | Non-residential service where monthly usage equals or exceeds 50 kW demand and/or 10,000 kWh for two consecutive months. 12-month minimum term. | Daily customer charge plus per-kW demand charge plus energy charge. Billing demand = maximum 15-minute demand in the month. Subject to Wholesale Power Cost Adjustment. | Energy 9.05¢/kWh; Customer Charge $2.67/day+ $5.95 per kW |
| GSDI — General Service Demand Interruptible | industrial | Non-residential demand customers who agree to interruptible/curtailable service in exchange for a lower energy rate. | Daily customer charge plus energy charge; the per-kW demand charge applies only when the customer fails to curtail on request. Subject to Wholesale Power Cost Adjustment. | Energy 9.40¢/kWh+ $13.50 per kW (applied only on failure to curtail) |
| LGSD — Large General Service Demand | industrial | Large non-residential loads where monthly demand equals or exceeds 7,500 kW. 12-month minimum term. | Daily customer charge plus per-kW demand charge plus energy charge. Billing demand = maximum 15-minute demand. Subject to Wholesale Power Cost Adjustment. | Energy 8.489¢/kWh; Customer Charge $11.67/day+ $5.75 per kW |
| EV Charging Service | ev | Electric vehicle charging service at SECO-defined power levels. | Energy-based pricing tiered by charging power level. | 31.00¢/kWh (levels 1-129 kW); 44.00¢/kWh (130 kW and above)+ See tariff |
Rate Recommendations by Use Case
Mid-size commercial facility (50+ kW)
Commercial site that has crossed the 50 kW / 10,000 kWh threshold into demand metering.
Above 50 kW, GSD is mandatory and brings a lower 9.05¢/kWh energy rate plus a $5.95/kW demand charge — so the 15-minute peak becomes the key cost driver.
- Pull 15-minute interval data from SmartHub/Green Button to see your peaks
- Stagger HVAC and large equipment to flatten the monthly peak
- Re-check load factor annually against the GS vs GSD trade-off
Small commercial / light load
Non-residential site under 50 kW and 10,000 kWh per month.
Below the demand threshold, GS avoids demand charges entirely with a simple daily customer charge plus flat 11.52¢/kWh energy — simplest and often cheapest for low-load-factor sites.
- Monitor usage in SmartHub to stay below the 50 kW / 10,000 kWh threshold if beneficial
- If you regularly approach the threshold, model GSD before you are auto-converted
- Use Green Button data to spot creeping demand growth
Large industrial load with curtailment flexibility
Large facility that can interrupt or shed load on request.
GSDI rewards genuine curtailment ability — the $13.50/kW demand charge applies only if you fail to curtail. Very large steady loads (7,500 kW+) belong on LGSD with the lowest energy rate (8.489¢/kWh) and a $5.75/kW demand charge.
- Quantify how reliably you can curtail before committing to GSDI
- For 7,500 kW+ steady load, LGSD's lower energy rate is usually decisive
- Engage SECO Economic Development / Key Accounts for a custom analysis
C&I energy team needing interval data for analytics
Organization that wants programmatic or repeatable access to SECO usage data.
SECO's 15-minute AMI data, Green Button Download My Data, and SmartHub API make it well-suited to automated benchmarking and demand analysis — a strong data-access fit relative to peer utilities.
- Start with Green Button XML exports (up to 14 months) for quick analysis
- Request SmartHub API access with member authorization for automation
- Store interval data in a time-series database for ongoing peak tracking
Historical Rate Trends
SECO conducts a cost-of-service study every 2-3 years and adjusts member rates accordingly. The most recent adjustment — a 9.17% total system increase — was approved by the Board on March 31, 2025, effective May 1, 2025 (pending Florida PSC review), citing membership growth (now adding ~1,500 accounts/month) and rising infrastructure and storm-hardening costs. The current filed rate tariff is dated October 1, 2025. Bills also move with the Wholesale Power Cost Adjustment from Seminole Electric.
May 1, 2025
Board-approved 9.17% total system rate increase (approved March 31, 2025) effective May 1, 2025, pending Florida PSC review; ~$10-$12/month for a 1,000 kWh residential bill.
+9.17% (total system)October 1, 2025
Current filed Rate Tariff effective date, reflecting the updated GS/GSD/GSDI/LGSD schedules.
N/A (tariff effective date)Overall trend: Upward — growth-driven capital investment and rising materials/storm costs, partly offset by not-for-profit cost discipline and capital credit returns.
Next expected change: Next cost-of-service study within 2-3 years; ongoing Wholesale Power Cost Adjustment updates.
Cost Optimization Strategies
On SECO's demand schedules (GSD/LGSD) the maximum 15-minute demand drives a meaningful share of the bill, so peak management and schedule selection are the biggest levers. SECO's 15-minute AMI data and Green Button export make demand analysis straightforward.
Peak demand management
For: GSD and LGSD customers
Use SmartHub 15-minute interval data to find and flatten the monthly peak that sets the GSD/LGSD demand charge ($5.75-$5.95/kW).
Right-size the rate schedule
For: Commercial near the 50 kW / 10,000 kWh threshold
Compare GS (no demand charge, 11.52¢/kWh) against GSD (9.05¢/kWh + $5.95/kW) using your actual load factor — the demand schedule wins for steady, higher-usage loads, while low-load-factor sites may be cheaper on GS.
Interruptible (GSDI) participation
For: Demand customers with curtailable load
If your facility can curtail on request, GSDI offers service where the $13.50/kW demand charge applies only when you fail to curtail — effectively a low-cost option for genuinely flexible load.
Data-driven efficiency targeting
For: All C&I members
Use Green Button 15-minute exports and SmartHub Home/usage profiling to identify high-consumption end uses and pair with Smart Connect incentives.
To implement these strategies, you need your 15-minute interval data. Learn how to download SECO Energy (Sumter Electric Cooperative) interval data →
Frequently Asked Questions
Does SECO Energy support Green Button and interval data for C&I customers?▾
Yes. SECO's Honeywell AMI meters record 15-minute interval data, viewable in SmartHub and exportable via Green Button Download My Data (ESPI XML, up to 14 months). This is a strong fit for benchmarking and load analysis. Connect My Data (OAuth automated access) is not confirmed — verify with SECO if you need it.
How can a third party get programmatic access to a member's SECO data?▾
Three practical paths: (1) the member exports Green Button XML and hands it off; (2) the member grants the third party SmartHub account access; or (3) request SmartHub API access from SECO with the member's authorization and a data-access agreement. Contact (352) 793-3801 or CustomerService@SECOEnergy.com to arrange API access.
What commercial rate schedules does SECO offer, and where do demand charges start?▾
Non-residential service moves from General Service (GS) to General Service Demand (GSD) once monthly usage reaches 50 kW and/or 10,000 kWh for two consecutive months. GSD adds a per-kW demand charge. Larger loads use GSD-Interruptible (GSDI) or Large General Service Demand (LGSD, 7,500 kW+). All are in SECO's filed rate tariff.
How much is SECO's commercial demand charge?▾
Per SECO's rate tariff (effective Oct 1, 2025): GSD bills a $5.95/kW demand charge with 9.05¢/kWh energy and a $2.67/day customer charge; LGSD (7,500 kW+) bills $5.75/kW with 8.489¢/kWh; GSDI (interruptible) carries a $13.50/kW demand charge applied only if the customer fails to curtail, with 9.40¢/kWh energy. A Wholesale Power Cost Adjustment also applies.
Did SECO's rates change recently?▾
Yes. SECO's Board approved a 9.17% total system rate increase on March 31, 2025, effective May 1, 2025 (pending Florida PSC review), following a cost-of-service study. The current filed rate tariff is effective October 1, 2025. SECO conducts a cost-of-service study every 2-3 years, so periodic adjustments should be expected.
Automate SECO Energy (Sumter Electric Cooperative) Rate Analysis with Nectar
Nectar continuously monitors your SECO Energy (Sumter Electric Cooperative) rate options and alerts you when a better schedule is available. Save 10-30% on energy costs.
Nectar for Energy & Sustainability Teams
Managing utility costs for commercial or industrial buildings? Nectar offers a free rate analysis — we'll review your current rate schedules and identify where switching tariffs or shifting load can save 10-30%.
Get a Free Rate AnalysisNectar for Energy Brokers & Consultants
Advising clients on rate optimization? Nectar works with energy consultants who need reliable interval data and automated rate comparison tools.
Partner with Us