SECO Energy

SECO Energy handles solar work out of Sumter. They run as an electric distribution cooperative that lists solar and renewable options among their member services along with ways to monitor energy use and start or transfer accounts. The operation covers standard utility tasks like outage reports and vegetation management while offering incentives tied to energy solutions. Staff such as engineer Travis get mentioned for staying on top of details during new construction projects.

Customers talk about crews showing up fast on site for partial power loss or random outages and fixing issues like smoking connections in ground panels right away. Some describe adding solar panels only to run into delays getting the system switched on even after county inspections cleared it. Others note long holds on the phone when trying to restore service after storm damage or pole replacements and frustration with deposit demands that hit regardless of payment history. Technicians like Dave and Brian helped restore power after hurricanes while staff such as Angelica handled account setups without issues.

Response times vary with some calls bringing crews in ten to fifteen minutes even during bad weather while others complain about no advance notice before shutoffs and reconnection fees that add up quickly. Communication often relies on texts about outages but leaves gaps when accounts need attention or payments get delayed. Service reaches areas with underground lines and gated properties where crews lock up after entry and the outfit keeps hours that allow weekend or after-hour responses in some cases.

The record shows a Google rating of 3.1 from 105 reviews with repeated comments on deposit rules, lack of warnings before disconnects, and occasional solid fixes from named workers. Positive notes focus on reliability over years and lower bills compared to other regions while negatives center on billing estimates and damage claims after meter changes. DIRT Score 2.6 from 105 reviews on Finds.

DIRT Score = confidence-weighted rating across verified review platforms. How is this calculated? →

“The crew working on my new construction project has been doing an great job. Everyone on site has been professional, efficient, and focused on quality. Travis, the engineer, has been especially thorough and attentive, making sure every detail is handled correctly. I appreciate the teamwork and the pride they’re taking in the work, it shows in the results. Jason Rector Construction Ocala, FL. 34470”

“They don’t send a warning message when late which is required and automatically cut it off with no warning or date it must be paid by to avoid account disruption. I have called them to let them know and they always have some excuse. They never return the disconnect fee even though it says on their website no charge will happen if a technician doesn’t come out. That a lie! They still charge you! Unfair practices.”

“Will not warn you and shut you off quick and charge you deposits they can draw interest on in there banks.”

“Since half house was out and in random areas I called electrician. He said, no power from panel outside and to call Seco. Paid 150.00 to elec and trying to get reimbursed fm Seco…we’ll see. . When we called about it he said no reimbursement and we should have called them first and they know about the problem, yet we received no notice by phone, text or email, I would have called Seco IF it was the whole house out but it was too random. Seco was at the door before we got off the phone. Couldn’t believe it, such a nice and polite guy, went right to work, found the problem right away. When he opened the panel in the ground he showed where the problem was, “smoking” that’s right the darn thing was smoking and the guy said it was a wonder we were getting any service at all. So fast, great problem solving, Seco and tech were great, can’t say enough. I learned something…call them first.”

“So I just started renting a room and the electric was shut off when I called I was told they now wanted a 400$ deposit but it wasn’t in my name and the owner was in a different state. So as of now I have no electricity and I’m sitting in the cold. And no there’s not anyone who can help.”

“We have had seco for at least 25 years! Always easy to deal with, prompt to get service back on after an outage, no deposit when we added a new service for our granddaughters home. We have a gated homestead, they have a key and have always locked the gates after entry!! Listening to friends that have other elect companies, we r grateful to have seco!! Thanks SECO!!!”

“Seco sent a company (honeywell) to change my meter to a eco meter. 2 people come to my house rip the box open and pull the meter out. No warning or anything. I was watching TV when they changed the meter and knocked the power out. They put a new meter in. Power comes back on. My Subwoofer and soundbar no longer work. Working when I was watching TV then they pulled the power and its Fried. Span of 5 min. I send in a claim. They send the claim to honeywell and they deny it. 😆 🤣 companies are getting worse and worse. Zero customer care. Take responsibility for issues or damages you caused. Ill eat the loss. Beware! hopefully doesn't happen to anyone on a washer/dryer or big appliance. You won't get any help. Rant over.”

“Forgot to pay my power bill for one week and they where already sending notifications that if not paid by today they would disconnect my power. So quick to turn off power so they can charge you a re connection fee. I tried to add a card for auto pay but they will only accept checking accounts for auto pay. Which I do not feel comfortable providing. We use credit cards as a added layer of security. It was very disappointing to see how quickly they are willing to pull the plug on a customer. Must be difficult for families struggling with rising costs of living, meanwhile the big companies show no mercy and are quick to turn off your power in Florida, without asking if there is anything they can do to help.”

“I just set up a second account with SECO and had the best experience speaking with Angelica. She was absolutely a joy to work with. I've trained many employees on phone etiquette and I can tell you- she was perfect. Good job SECO for hiring such a pleasant and obviously intelligent employee! I have to mention that my bill is about 1/4 the cost of California power. Thanks for that also!!”

“You know, I just have to say I love my SECO. Every time and I mean every time I have called them they show up right away. I had trouble with my power and I called for them to come out and look at it. They say 1hr, maybe 11/2 hrs. They always have shown up here within 10 to 15 minutes even when we lost power during hurricanes. Thank folks for the exceptional work and service you do”

“I’ve had service with SECO for 6 years. Very reliable and hardly experience outages. My service is underground as well. I might be a little biased given that I also work for SECO as well. I can truly say that we do our best to help the members and they treat employees like family. Truly a blessing to work for a company like SECO, I’ve learned so much over the years and grown professionally as well. I’m moving in 2 weeks and just knowing I won’t be serviced by my company anymore makes me extremely nervous. I will miss SECO energy!”

“Who else condemns SECO's unethical deposit practice??? I am the proud owner of a credit profile which is nothing short of perfect. I have never been asked for a deposit by any other utility company in my life, yet SECO feels the need to charge outrageous deposit fees regardless of our credit profile (which is exactly what it's for). Also, my perfect payment history from another leading local company was of no regard to them as well. My guess is that they don't use our actual credit or reference because it requires time & resources, and it could limit the incoming amount of potential deposit dollars. They also specifically state that they pay no interest on your funds held as a deposit. They also hold that deposit for a ridiculous amount of time. Where is that money being allocated? Does anyone else feel ripped off? I'm willing to bet it's not sitting in an account, but maybe being used by the company instead? If so, this is VERY bad business practice SECO!!! When a company has a monopoly on an area, things can get unnecessarily ugly - if that company is not out for the good of its customers. SECO has a giant monopoly in my area. It seems to me, and the other folks who contributed t”

“This is the worst electric company I have ever had to deal with. They have been “estimating” my bill usage rather than getting my exact usage. They have over estimated each month by 400kw. It’s disgusting that a company can steal like this from families. I’d had enough of this company so I got solar panels, and now seco is refusing to switch my solar on due to the solar not being exactly how they want it, even though our solar system passed all county code inspections. This company treats their customers like garbage and should not be allowed to stay in business”

“I was very impressed with the friendly and helpful crew from SECO Energy, after we were surprised by the force of Hurricane Sally. They came all the way up to near Pensacola Florida, to provide us with electricity again. There were two workers named Dave and Brian, who were especially kind, and even got my dog Black Jack's friendship; which isn't an easy feat. I'm so grateful for these companies that travel to areas in need and make our lives become somewhat normal again. Thanks again. 💙”

“I am so disappointed in their customer service. I am disabled and on a fixed income and with covid I have juggling bills. I had a sweet woman who would drive by and honk and give me a chance to pay before shutting my electric off but she was replaced by a ride man. A neighbor was helping in my yard and he walked up to him and said I was late two months in a row and I better pay in 20 minutes. How embarrassing for me so I called the customer service and the boss of the rude man came out and put in a meter than can be read from the road and apologized all nice. Now I just get shut off no warning, nothing. They add a $40 fee which is half of my monthly bill to turn it back on which makes it harder to catch up. I can't believe this is how they treat elderly handicapped people who are two weeks behind on a bill of $100.00.”

“Called to activate my street light but to have it shine on my driveway not on a grassy area and my neighbor’s front window. Called Monday. Paula the supervisor was out of the office and was told she will call me Tuesday when backed. Nothing Tuesday or Wednesday so I’m calling back tomorrow/Thursday. How hard is it to move the light to add security/protectIon to my yard and how hard is it to return a call without me calling back and repeating the whole thing a second time??”

“Irma did a lot of damage in the islands and south Florida but not in Inverness area. We lost our power Sunday night around 11:07 PM. There was no breaker action just went off. Two days later no power and no crews anywhere. Tried calling and phone rings busy. SECO said they were ready for a Cat 3 storm and all we had here was a tropical storm and now no sign of them. Forget SECO get some contractors in here please.”

“Never them mail payments, we pay most utilities by check. We have 2 properties running with seco. They shut off our residential power because they had yet to receive our payments but the other property we have with them was current? How, we pay them both at the same time? They then say they require an almost $300 deposit to turn me back on... I've been a customer for two years with two accounts how can you treat me like this? A family running a small business being treated like criminals in the middle of summer in Florida. Really bad business, unprofessional support staff, they lie about not being able to help you. If you get jerked around by them just keep asking for a manager and you'll eventually get what you need but not after hours of fighting with people who are trained to suck money out of their loyal customers.”

“I have been a customer for about 8 months and am currently sitting about 2 hours into my 4th power outage. Trying to get any information other than a text that the power is out is impossible. I have no choice as our complex picked this company not me. Their best guess per the txt I got saying my power was restored and I told them it was not is it will be another hour and a half. They really don’t seem to have a clue as to what is going on”

“Can't get them to answer phones to turn power back on after we had our power pole and box replaced due to storm damage. It's been 2 hours on hold . Even tried the call back feature with no luck. Seriously need more hands or a call center . I've had no power for 4 days already.”