FPL bills to increase because of fuel costs
With natural gas costing more than expected, Florida Power & Light customers will see increases in their monthly bills starting in May.
The state Public Service Commission on Thursday approved a request by FPL to collect $302.5 million from customers to cover additional costs of fuel for power plants. Also Thursday, the commission approved a pilot program that will involve Tampa Electric Co. installing about 200 charging ports for electric vehicles.
Fuel costs make up a major part of customers’ monthly bills, and utilities are supposed to pass through those costs without profiting. Each fall, the commission approves estimated fuel costs. But utilities can return to the commission to seek increases in customer bills if fuel costs are substantially higher than projected.
FPL made a filing in February asking to collect the additional money, pointing to increases in “natural gas prices and a rise in the natural gas forward curve exacerbated by cold weather events.”
Under the plan approved by the commission, FPL customers who use 1,000 kilowatt hours of electricity a month will see their bills increase from the current $99.05 a month to $103.02 in May. The additional charges will continue through December.
The utility industry uses 1,000 kilowatt-hour residential bills as a benchmark, but electricity consumption varies widely among customers.
