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JANUARY 2026 | VOL. 76 NO. 1 | www.westflorida.coop New Convenience Fee Structure Helps Allocate Costs Fairly West Florida Electric’s (WFEC) Board of Trustees and management recently took a close look at the costs associated with processing payments, namely convenience fees charged by banks and credit card companies like Visa and MasterCard. Convenience fees are charged on every credit card, debit card, or electronic check payment (e-check) submitted to the cooperative. Over time, as more and more payments are submitted electronically, these costs have continued to rise. In order to make sure we are proportionately allocating the costs of the co-op to the services being utilized, effective in January 2026, convenience fees for credit card and electronic check payments will be passed along to the member making the payment. The convenience fee will be passed along by payment type, namely a 2.45% transaction fee for credit card transactions and a flat $1 service fee for electronic check payments (e-checks). As a not-for-profit electric provider, our goal is always to provide service
I nside Page 2: How to Sign Up for Automated Bank Draft Payments Page 2: Beware Winter Utility Scams Page 3: 2025 Employee Recognition Page 4: Winter Heating Safety Tips
as close to its cost as possible; this sometimes means making changes to be sure the cost of service is allocated proportionately to the members utilizing the service. The good news is that these fees will no longer be subsidized by all members. Members who do not utilize these services will see no changes. 60090001 Fortunately, there are ways to avoid paying the 2.45% fee. No credit card fees will be charged to members who pay by credit or debit card in person in the office. Members can avoid these fees by opting for alternative payment methods such as automated bank drafts from your checking or savings account. You can arrange bank drafts by downloading the bank draft form from the cooperative’s continued on page 2
ROW U pdate WFEC Right-of-Way Crews will be cutting & trimming in the following area(s) during
JANUARY:
Compass Lake Tumble Creek & Highview Westville & Ponce De Leon When ROW crews are trimming in your area, there may be several days between ROW cutting & clean-up crews due to inclement weather, equipment failure, or other unforeseen circumstances.
Spot your WFEC account number & earn a $25 bill credit! Find your account number inside the articles in this publication and give us a call or send an email to clf@westflorida.coop with your name and account number to verify.