(CNN) When Michael Esmond got his utility bills -- due December 26 -- his mind went straight to the 1980s, when he had trouble making ends meet.

So the Florida business owner found out who in his Gulf Breeze community was at risk of having their utilities disconnected. Then, he paid 36 families' bills ahead of Christmas.

Esmond, who owns Gulf Breeze Pools & Spa near Pensacola, told CNN he spent $4,600 to give his neighbors "a happier Christmas and take a little bit of stress out."

"I actually lived that back in the 1980s," he said. "I experienced the same thing, having trouble paying bills. My gas was shut off, and we had no heating for the whole winter."

"It was one of the coldest winters in Florida; temperature got down to the single digits," Esmond continued. "That was definitely in my mind when I received the bill this year."

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