[Annie66]

Originally Posted by md5wl

Effective January 2023 Seco is rounding up our bills and donating the change to a charity they chose.
The only way to stop this is to tell them to unsubscribe you and refund your change.

Please don't be such a grump. This may cost you less than $12 a year. If you cannot afford that, how are you leaving here in TVs?

[Aces4]

Originally Posted by Bogie Shooter

From the provided link……

The current Pennies from Heaven program is transitioning to the SECO Energy Foundation in January 2023. Contributions will be tax-deductible and allow the Foundation (as a nonprofit entity) to apply for grants from other local, state and federal sources. Grants may include investments in first responder equipment, energy-efficiency grants for low-income communities and senior/youth centers.

It seem some posters find it easier to just post false information rather than looking to find what are the facts.

The thing is, Bogie, we all pay taxes already and make independent donations that subsidize these programs.

[Velvet]

I appreciate this act by Seco brought to our attention. I believe in charity, but not “sneaky” charity. I went over my notifications from Seco and could not find where I have been notified of their “rounding up” practices. I may have to take them off automatic billing and review in detail each bill if they come up with anything else.

[Walt6977]

SECO Energy is regulated by the Florida Public Services Commission (PSC), as a Public Utilities SECO inherently has more power over their customers than a regular Company and Florida Services Commission is supposed to keep SECO from abusing that power. SECO says they will contribute some of the funds they collect for their Pennies from Heaven Rounding Up Scheme, to assorted Charities but I would wager the lions share goes into SECO’s account to make up for business losses they suffer; from people who have not paid their Electric Bill. Legitimate Charities ask for Donations, they do not have the power to force contributions as SECO has assumed. SECO enrolls all their customers to contribute, and then offer a path to unenroll. I would bet 90% of their customers do not even relize they are contributing. Some of the worse frauds committed each year are related to Charities and Rounding Up schemes.
The Florida Public Services Commission should force SECO to return 100% of their ill-gotten funds to the Customers they took them from. Then and only then SECO might be permitted to ask their customers to contribute for their “Charity”, but they should have to give detailed accounting of where every penny the “Charity” takes in. If 90% of “Charity” Contributions are earmarked to go to SECO, they must inform their Customers.
SECO has abused the Public Utility position they enjoy. The Florida Public Services Commission has the power to fine SECO for their transgressions. A through investigation needs to be conducted to see where these ill-gotten funds went, and SECO should be forced to make restitution to all their customers. A good place to start the questioning is: Do any Politicians or regulators benefit from SECO’s “Charity”?

[Velvet]

I called them today, and they ARE returning the money. It wasn't much, but it is the principle! They have restored my faith in them. This “opt out” scheme is quite unpopular and other companies have tried - it comes across as sneaky and enforced. They are in no position to dictate where and how one plans to spend their charitable contributions. I’m sorry they tried - they lost a bit of their good name.

[retiredguy123]

Originally Posted by Velvet

I called them today, and they ARE returning the money. It wasn't much, but it is the principle! They have restored my faith in them. This “opt out” scheme is quite unpopular and other companies have tried - it comes across as sneaky and enforced. They are in no position to dictate where and how one plans to spend their charitable contributions. I’m sorry they tried - they lost a bit of their good name.

It comes off as sneaky because it is sneaky. They should cancel the whole program, the opt-ins and the opt-outs.

[Walt6977]

SECO Energy is regulated by the Florida Public Services Commission (PSC), as a Public Utilities SECO inherently has more power over their customers than a regular Company and Florida Services Commission is supposed to keep SECO from abusing that power. SECO says they will contribute some of the funds they collect for their Pennies from Heaven Rounding Up Scheme, to assorted Charities but I would wager the lions share goes into SECO’s account to make up for business losses they suffer; from people who have not paid their Electric Bill. Legitimate Charities ask for Donations, they do not have the power to force contributions as SECO has assumed. SECO enrolls all their customers to contribute, and then offer a path to unenroll. I would bet 90% of their customers do not even relize they are contributing. Some of the worse frauds committed each year are related to Charities and Rounding Up schemes.
The Florida Public Services Commission should force SECO to return 100% of their ill-gotten funds to the Customers they took them from. Then and only then SECO might be permitted to ask their customers to contribute for their “Charity”, but they should have to give detailed accounting of where every penny the “Charity” takes in. If 90% of “Charity” Contributions are earmarked to go to SECO, they must inform their Customers.
SECO has abused the Public Utility position they enjoy. The Florida Public Services Commission has the power to fine SECO for their transgressions. A through investigation needs to be conducted to see where these ill-gotten funds went, and SECO should be forced to make restitution to all their customers. A good place to start the questioning is: Do any Politicians or regulators benefit from SECO’s “Charity”?

[Bill14564]

Originally Posted by Velvet

I appreciate this act by Seco brought to our attention. I believe in charity, but not “sneaky” charity. I went over my notifications from Seco and could not find where I have been notified of their “rounding up” practices. I may have to take them off automatic billing and review in detail each bill if they come up with anything else.

Check your August and December bills and August through December newsletters.

[Velvet]

Originally Posted by Bill14564

Check your August and December bills and August through December newsletters.

I did. Google sent them to trash so until I checked junk mail, I did not see it. Why would they not indicate it on the bill they are rounding up? (Which I can see.)

[Bill14564]

Originally Posted by Velvet

I did. Google sent them to trash so until I checked junk mail, I did not see it. Why would they not indicate it on the bill they are rounding up? (Which I can see.)

They told customers in five newsletters and two bills including the bill immediately before the change went into effect. What more could they have done to give customers notice?

Why no notification on the January bill? Probably because by that time, after the seven other notifications, after the change went into effect, it was old news.

[Bogie Shooter]

Originally Posted by Velvet

I did. Google sent them to trash so until I checked junk mail, I did not see it. Why would they not indicate it on the bill they are rounding up? (Which I can see.)

You better fix that Google.

[Velvet]

Originally Posted by Bill14564

They told customers in five newsletters and two bills including the bill immediately before the change went into effect. What more could they have done to give customers notice?

Why no notification on the January bill? Probably because by that time, after the seven other notifications, after the change went into effect, it was old news.

Well, it was my fault then. I let them go to automatic billing and by the way, was there was 6 cents on December bill last month and 17 on the other bill before that, so I don’t see when they started this rounding up. Just says to me, one must check every bill carefully and I’m not so sure about giving monthly access to my bank account.

[Velvet]

Originally Posted by Bogie Shooter

You better fix that Google.

Yep, and now let’s see Seco fix this practice.

[retiredguy123]

Originally Posted by Velvet

Well, it was my fault then. I let them go to automatic billing and by the way, was there was 6 cents on December bill last month and 17 on the other bill before that, so I don’t see when they started this rounding up. Just says to me, one must check every bill carefully and I’m not so sure about giving monthly access to my bank account.

It seems like the name of the game today is for businesses to convince customers to allow automatic billing and hope they forget about it. I avoid autopay anytime I can. Dean's lost my potential business because they require autopay. Even Consumer Reports requires autopay, and they are supposed to be protecting consumers. I only signed up for Netflix when Xfinity allowed me to include it on my monthly bill. If you subscribe to Netflix directly, they require autopay. I tried to buy a one year subscription, and they refused my business.

[Bill14564]

Originally Posted by Velvet

Well, it was my fault then. I let them go to automatic billing and by the way, was there was 6 cents on December bill last month and 17 on the other bill before that, so I don’t see when they started this rounding up. Just says to me, one must check every bill carefully and I’m not so sure about giving monthly access to my bank account.

I'm confused. As they mentioned at least seven times, the rounding up started on January 1, 2023. The bill you just received, the bill everyone just received, the bill many people are now complaining about, is the first bill to have this rounding up.

You can see many (all?) your past bills by logging onto the SECO energy Smarthub. But you must already know that if you receive your bills via email.

It was a surprise to me to. It took me about two minutes to figure out what was happening and find the previous announcements. But instead of getting indignant and accusing SECO of bad practices, I kicked myself for not paying attention. Then I thought about what the foundation was doing and what it cost me to participate and decided it was a good idea to remain enrolled.

But hey, do whatever makes you feel comfortable. Un-enroll from e-billing so you can keep the paper copies to look back on. Un-enroll from automatic payments and instead write a check, stuff an envelope, and tear off another stamp. And by all means, opt-out of the roundup - you'll need that $6 to buy the checks, envelopes, and stamps.