At TECO, saying thanks goes beyond the thousands of hours our team members volunteer each year to help those in need. It covers a wide range of things we do daily to bring value to our customers and the communities we serve. And it’s something we constantly look for new and better ways to do.
Saying thanks includes providing you with energy that costs 7 percent less than it did 7 years ago and providing a variety of bill payment options. It also includes providing free Power Updates and Energy Planner services.
Saying thanks includes our team members bringing their time and talents to the Great American Teach-In. At this year’s Teach-In, team members again fanned out across the community to wow students with bucket trucks and how they support reliability, the story of electricity generation and transmission, and, most importantly, electrical safety.
Saying thanks also comes into play at our annual Retiree Rendezvous. It’s an opportunity for longtime friends and former colleagues to mingle at the Florida State Fair and reflect on their years of service as part of TECO’s century-plus legacy in the community. On Nov. 12, about 260 TECO retirees who also served their nation in the Vietnam War era received special recognition and commemorative pins as a way to say thanks for their sacrifices.
Another way we say thanks is through Tampa Electric’s Manatee Viewing Center, with free admission and parking for all visitors. For nearly 30 years, the environmental education facility in Apollo Beach has encouraged habitat protection to more than 4.3 million people of all ages from around the world. And, when the water temperature of Tampa Bay falls below 68 degrees Fahrenheit, you can see manatees up close, sometimes by the hundreds, when they gather in the clean, warm water discharge canal at our Big Bend Power Station. The result not only brings natural Florida up close to you – the canal provides lifesaving protection from the cold for manatees as a state and federal manatee sanctuary.
For customers in need, the holidays can be particularly challenging. Through our Share program (also available through Peoples Gas), TECO team members and customers may make a voluntary, tax deductible contribution with their monthly electric and natural gas bill payments to help customers who are struggling to pay their electric and natural gas bills.
Every dollar you donate to Share goes directly to helping a neighbor in need. No portion of your contribution is used for fundraising or administrative costs. For every contribution made, Tampa Electric and Peoples Gas will increase the impact by matching dollar-for-dollar, up to a combined $500,000 a year. Donations are collected by Tampa Electric and forwarded to the Salvation Army to help eligible clients. To determine if you qualify to receive assistance as a Share recipient, call (813) 226-0055. For additional assistance, you can contact the Florida 211 Network by calling 2-1-1.
And no matter who you are, you have plenty of programs – many free – to help you save energy and money. As the weather turns cool, it’s the perfect time to balance your comfort at home with wise energy usage.
At TECO, we take great pride in having been part of this community dating back to the late 1800s. Thanks for giving us the opportunity to serve you, our customers, as we look for new ways to say thanks – this Thanksgiving and all year round.
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