By now you’ve probably received several different official-looking letters offering you air conditioning and heating, electrical, plumbing, and other home services from what appears to be Florida Power & Light (FPL).

Don’t be fooled. These letters are actually coming from FPL “Energy Services”.

Recently, FPL, the largest utility in the state and the 3rd largest in the country, purchased Jupiter-Tequesta Air Conditioning, Plumbing and Electrical and re-branded it as FPL Energy Services. Now, this unregulated subsidiary is leveraging the ratepayer-funded assets of its state-regulated parent and improperly accessing the data of millions of FPL customers to offer them a variety of services.

The Florida Public Service Commission has cautioned FPL against misrepresenting the communications of its unregulated subsidiaries and the MEP Coalition for Fair Competition (MEP), a statewide small business alliance established in opposition to FPL’s expansion into the for-profit home services market, claims that FPL is using predatory pricing and leveraging their corporate resources in order to “decimate the small business owners and contractors who offer these services locally.”

MEP believes that FPL aims to force small community-based contractors out of business and that, once they have succeeded, “FPL will be free to hold a monopoly position in these new industries, destroying competition and raising prices as they see fit.”

For more information visit: https://www.mepcoalition.org/the-case-against-fpl/.

A new AC System can significantly reduce your electric bill, but the initial expense can be intimidating.

Sean McCutcheon’s Air Conditioning and Heating can help make that very worthwhile investment a little easier for you with a new clean-energy financing program.

Sarasota County Homeowners can now take advantage of the Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) Financing Program which allows them to borrow up to 20% of their home’s value to finance energy-efficient heating, cooling, and ventilation systems.

Homeowners can take up to 15 years to pay back the loan and, thanks to an agreement between the PACE Providers (the financing organizations) and the Sarasota County Property Appraiser and Tax Collector’s office, the amount to be repaid is included as a non-ad valorem assessment on your annual property tax bill instead of a monthly payment like most other home expenses.

The first of four PACE Providers, Renew Financial, is now able to provide PACE Financing to homeowners in unincorporated Sarasota County, the City of Sarasota, and the City of North Port.

Homeowners in the Town of Longboat Key should be able to access the program soon.

In order to take advantage of this financing program, your contractor must be an Approved PACE Contractor. PACE Contractors are trained on regulations related to the PACE program, they conform to a code of conduct, and their licenses and insurance are checked.

Sean McCutcheon’s Air Conditioning and Heating is already approved and we’re ready to help homeowners like you make their homes more energy efficient.

If you’ve been thinking of a new AC System but weren’t sure how you were going to pay for it, give us a call at 941-921-7208, we’ll gladly answer any questions so you can decide if PACE Financing is right for you.

Sean McCutcheon's Air Conditioning and Heating is honored to have received the Angie's List Super Service Award for achieving and maintaining a superior service rating on Angie's List throughout 2016.

This achievement is particularly significant as Angie’s List experienced unprecedented member growth in 2016. More than 1.6 million consumers, many of whom were eager to quickly hire highly qualified service pros, joined Angie’s List after the company added a new, free membership tier.

“Companies that can meet higher demands without missing a beat in their exemplary performance standards truly do stand apart from their peers,” said Angie’s List Founder Angie Hicks. “Only a fraction of the HVAC companies in Sarasota, FL were able to do it.”

Angie’s List Super Service Award 2016 winners have met strict eligibility requirements, which include an “A” rating in overall grade, recent grade, and review period grade. The SSA winners must also be in good standing with Angie’s List, pass a background check and abide by Angie’s List operational guidelines.