LCEC – Lee County Electric Cooperative

Enroll in paperless billing today for the chance to receive $100. Let's get green together!

LCEC does not contract solar or installers. Beware of solar company reps stating they work for LCEC.

Shopping Cart


Default Image

Energize your inner energy-saver

January 29, 2020 – We all have it within us to save energy. It doesn’t take much to reduce your carbon footprint while reducing your electric bill. Here are just a few ways to channel your inner energy-saver:

Cooling/heating:
• When cooling your home, set the thermostat at 78 degrees Fahrenheit. Each degree below adds 8 to 12 percent to the cooling costs.
• When heating your home, set the thermostat at 65 degrees Fahrenheit. Since heating costs three times more than cooling, consider using a space heater or electric blanket.
• While away from home for more than two hours, set the thermostat at 83 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Install a programmable thermostat that will automatically raise and lower the temperature at certain times of the day.
• Be sure your thermostat fan switch is set on the “auto” setting. This is more economical for temperature and humidity control.
• Do not close A/C vents or interior doors when A/C is running.
• Service your air conditioning system annually.
• Change or clean filters monthly.
• Keep windows and exterior doors closed when running your air conditioner or heater. Also, use caulk and weather strip around windows and doors.
• Turn off fans when the room is not occupied. Each continuously running fan costs approximately $7 per month on your electric bill.

Refrigerators:
• Do not locate refrigerators/freezers in a garage or other non-air conditioned space.
• Refrigerators should be maintained at 36 to 38 degrees Fahrenheit, while freezers should be maintained from 0 to 4 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Full freezers use less power. Use plastic soda bottles filled with water, or bags of ice, if necessary. Keep refrigerators full when leaving your home vacant for a long period of time.
• Test your refrigerator door gasket with a crisp dollar bill. A good gasket will hold the bill in place.

LEDs:
• Replace standard light bulbs with compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), which use 75% less energy, or LED lamps (light emitting diode), which use 85% less energy with a life expectancy of 30,000 to 50,000 hours of run time.

Another simple way to save electricity is to enroll in LCEC’s online bill pay and customer service portal, SmartHub! With SmartHub, you can do everything from setting up usage alerts to monitoring energy usage to reporting an outage to paying your electric bill!

Visit lcec.net to enroll in SmartHub and to discover more ways to save electricity!

Be safe around overhead power lines

January 21, 2020 – Before outdoor work or play, it is essential to look up and locate any overhead power lines. It is everyone’s job to be alert to where overhead power lines so that you can protect yourself and others. When it comes to overhead power lines, it is essential to:
• Look up to locate all overhead power lines.
• Stay at least 10 feet away from any overhead power lines.
• Never touch anything that comes into contact with a power line.
• Always carry ladders or tall equipment horizontally. It is smart to use wooden or fiberglass ladders outdoors since metal ladders conduct electricity, but remember, even wood can conduct electricity if it is even somewhat wet.
• Never climb trees near power lines.
• Never fly kites, remote control airplanes, drones or balloons around power lines.

If you see a downed line, stay away! It is best to always assume that a downed power line is live and could be deadly. If you see a downed power line:
• Call 911.
• Never try to move a downed line.
• Never drive over or near a downed power line or anything in contact with them. Downed lines can energize the ground up to 35 feet away! This distance can increase in wet conditions.

For more ways to be safe around overhead power lines and electricity, visit lcec.net.

LCEC employees Pay It Forward

January 14, 2020 – LCEC employees do much more than just keep your lights on. They energize the community through volunteering countless hours each and every year to give back to this wonderful place we call home. From serving as Odyssey of the Mind judges to picking up trash to reading to at-risk youths, LCEC employees take pride in serving the community. In an effort to support their passion for philanthropy, LCEC designed the Pay It Forward Program to encourage volunteerism and support employees’ efforts to give to their favorite qualifying non-profit organization. In essence, employees who volunteer and track volunteer hours can earn Pay It Forward donation dollars which are, in turn, awarded to the employee’s 501 (c)(3) charity of choice. To receive Pay It Forward donation dollars, employees must volunteer at least 50 hours. Once an employee hits 50 hours, they can designate a not-for-profit benefiting organization to receive a $50 donation on behalf of the employee Since the program’s inception in 2016, several remarkable LCEC employees have surpassed the 1,000 mark in volunteer hours!

The Pay It Forward Program is just one way that LCEC gives back to the community. Another example of LCEC’s commitment to this community is our continual fundraising efforts which bring in approximately $200,000 annually for the United Way of Lee, Hendry, Glades and Okeechobee Counties. LCEC is proud, honored and dedicated to taking an active role in making our communities and the environment a better place to work and live, and we sincerely thank our 370+ employees for giving of their time, talents and treasure to benefit others.

LCEC Celebrating 80 Years

January 7, 2020 – LCEC has been serving Southwest Florida’s energy needs since 1940 when orange grove owner George Judd sold the North Fort Myers Mariana Grove power plant to the members who lived in North Fort Myers. Homer T. Welch was the company’s first member of management when LCEC began with 15 miles of distribution line and 158 members, which was about one percent of Lee County’s population at the time. In the 80 years since then, LCEC has prided itself on living up to our mission of providing efficient, reliable, cost-competitive electricity, emerging energy solutions, and excellent service to our customers. One example of us staying true to our mission is our focus on managing operating and maintenance costs while constantly improving processes and efficiencies. As a result of this hard work, 2020 also marks the 12th consecutive year that LCEC has not raised rates. LCEC customers can rest assured knowing that LCEC will spend the next 80 years working just as diligently to provide reliable electric and quality service at the lowest possible rates while continuing to give back to this community which we all call home. Happy New Year from LCEC, and thank you for letting us energize your life since 1940!

NOTICE: You are leaving the LCEC website

By selecting the “Continue” button below you will be leaving the LCEC website and entering a website hosted by another party. Please be advised that you will no longer be subject to, or under the protection of the LCEC website Privacy Policy, and that LCEC is not responsible for the content or accuracy of the information on the website. We encourage you to review the privacy policy on the site you are entering before providing any personally identifiable or confidential information.

NOTICIA: Usted está saliendo de la página de internet de LCEC.

Seleccionando el boton “Continuar” ud. estará saliendo de la página de internet de LCEC e ingresará a una página de internet acogida por una compañia tercera. Por favor note que ud. no estará sujeto a o bajo la protección y reglas de privacidad de la página de internet de LCEC. LCEC no es responsable por el contenido y veracidad de la información en la página de internet. Antes de proceder y proveer cualquier información personal o confidencial, le sugerimos que revise las reglas de privacidad en el sitio de internet al que ud. está ingresando.