Concern for community

The 7th Cooperative Principle is Concern for Community. Our community commitment extends to sponsoring Operation Round Up, a voluntary giving program where, for just pennies a month our members provide priceless help and make a big difference in the lives of others. We sponsor environmental programs like GOFER (Give Oil for Energy Recovery) and Power for Wildlife, where we do all we can to ensure that wildlife habitat isn't harmed by right-of-way clearance. In our own daily operations, we are always careful to practice recycling and to use recyclable materials whenever possible. 

We are also building the future by investing in our young people with scholarships and educational programs. Every summer, we send two high school juniors (rising seniors) to Washington D.C. as delegates to the Washington Youth Tour. We also offer the Jenny Ballard Scholarship offered by the statewide association of Women Involved in Rural Electrification (WIRE). In addition, we take our safety programs into local schools as a part of our education outreach efforts. 

Throughout the year, Santee Electric Cooperative helps ensure the prosperity of our local economy through economic development efforts. We are also working in cooperation with Santee Cooper (a state-owned electric generating utility), Central Electric Power Cooperative (a generation and transmission cooperative), South Carolina Power Team (an economic development organization) and other electric distribution cooperatives across the state to bring jobs and industries into South Carolina from around the world. 

WIRE banner

WIRE is a statewide community service organization established in 1981 through the Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina, Inc.

WIRE was created as a nonprofit organization to foster interest in and understanding of the rural electric program and to improve the quality of life in rural areas. The efforts of WIRE members go beyond scholarships and fundraising to touch the lives of many people across the Palmetto State.

Santee Electric's WIRE chapter completes monthly service projects; such as, an annual "Stuff Drive" for Pee Dee Thrift, purchasing Christmas gifts for foster children, Back to School projects, cards and gifts for nursing home residents, Lineman Appreciation events, etc.

The group also participates in the SC WIRE organization along with many other WIRE chapters across the state. The statewide WIRE has a Co-op Closet project that provides emergency needs for displaced elderly people through the Department on Aging. Kids Closet is another project in which necessities are provided for students qualifying for the McKinney Vento law.

If you would like to become involved in WIRE and our many worthwhile projects,
please call +1-843-355-6187 or email jarnsmeyer@santee.org.

delivering blankets

SEC WIRE members delivered Christmas cards and blankets to residents in the Lake City Scranton Healthcare Center.

tie dyeing t-shirts

SEC WIRE volunteers at Camp Happy Days each July. Here you see Heather McClary tie dyeing t-shirts with a camper.

stuff drive

Each year SEC WIRE has a Stuff Drive to benefit the Pee Dee Thrift Stores in Florence County.

kids closet

SEC WIRE joins SC WIRE in packing bags for McKinney Vento students. Here WIRE members deliver the bags to Florence School District 5.

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  1. OBJECTIVE:

To establish procedures for dealing with SEC members with documented medical necessities and, furthermore, to establish procedures for the actual documentation of such necessities.

  1. POLICY CONTENT:

Members with documented medical necessities will be given certain considerations as follows:

  1. Documentation of Medical Necessities

In order to be given consideration under SEC's Medical Necessities Policy, a member must have a current and properly completed certification on file with the Cooperative.  A copy of this certification form is included with and made part of this policy.

  1. Concerning Disconnection of Service for Nonpayment

Whenever a member meeting the aforementioned requirements to qualify as a "member with documented medical necessities" would otherwise be disconnected for nonpayment, that member will instead be given additional notification (a door hanger or phone call).  The cooperative must be able to document this notification attempt with either a service order (in the case of a trip to the residence) or the cooperative's call log.  Disconnection for nonpayment will not occur until at least seventy-two (72) hours has passed from the time of this additional notification attempt. 

  1. Concerning Outage Restoration

It is crucial to understand that SEC's outage restoration procedures will always focus on restoring power to the most members in the quickest manner possible.  During any outage, restoration of substations, feeders, and larger taps is always considered before individual consumers.

However, once outage restoration has progressed to the individual consumer level, then - and only then - medical necessities will be taken into consideration.  For example, if three members (one with medical necessities documented under this policy and two without) each has an outage involving their individual services AND if any one of the three can be restored in roughly the same amount of time as another, then the member with the documented medical necessity will be given first priority.

  1. Disclaimer

Any document regarding the Cooperative's medical necessities policy and procedures should include a disclaimer with language similar to the following:

Qualification under SEC's medical necessities policy does not guarantee that your electric service will be restored before others.  Furthermore, qualification under this policy is also not a method of avoiding disconnection for nonpayment.  It is simply a means of assisting SEC in knowing where members with critical needs are located on our system.  As always, in the case of potential interruption of service, it is the member's responsibility to take proper precautions.

Medical Necessity Account - Member Certification Form