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Duke Energy Florida announced a planned decrease of residential customer rates beginning next March, saying the company intends to lift the storm cost recovery charge currently being imposed on customers.The utility plans to drop the storm cost recovery charge in March 2026 after placing it on customers’ bills in March of this year, following back-to-back-to-back hurricanes Debby, Helene, and Milton last storm season.Residential customers using 1,000 kwh (kilowatt-hour) of electricity will see their bills drop approximately $44 compared to February 2026.But the company said it expects bills for those same customers will increase from January to February next year by approximately $7.54.The company had filed to increase costs in December 2024 and recover an estimated $1.1 billion in direct costs from all three hurricanes.It maintains that those costs are related to the deployment of hundreds of crews, the acquisition of significant mutual assistance, and repairing, rebuilding and replacing critical infrastructure damaged by the catastrophic storm surge and wind.But in recent months, some customers have been voicing frustrations with what they call exorbitant increases in their monthly bills.”They have been flying up,” said Michele Miller of Clermont.Miller lives in a 2,400 sq. ft. home with three window AC units.”It used to be $418, which is so ridiculous. We don’t have central heat and air, so we just have units, and now it $525. It just went up this month.””There’s times when we don’t even make it paycheck to paycheck,” she said. “It’s paycheck to probably a week before the next paycheck. It’s extremely rough.”Other customers WESH 2 spoke with describe monthly bills in excess of $600 and $700.Wei Sun, a professor of electrical engineering at UCF with expertise in electric power and energy systems, said customers will always want bills lowered, but utilities will continue to pass along the costs for both storm rebuilding and for grid hardening.”Even we have hurricanes, but we probably look at history, there’s a faster recovery, and even you can make a grid more robust to be able to resist those high-speed winds,” Sun said.He said those who have the ability should look into solar panels for the roofs of their homes or consider the types of lights in the home.
Duke Energy Florida announced a planned decrease of residential customer rates beginning next March, saying the company intends to lift the storm cost recovery charge currently being imposed on customers.
The utility plans to drop the storm cost recovery charge in March 2026 after placing it on customers’ bills in March of this year, following back-to-back-to-back hurricanes Debby, Helene, and Milton last storm season.
Residential customers using 1,000 kwh (kilowatt-hour) of electricity will see their bills drop approximately $44 compared to February 2026.
But the company said it expects bills for those same customers will increase from January to February next year by approximately $7.54.
The company had filed to increase costs in December 2024 and recover an estimated $1.1 billion in direct costs from all three hurricanes.
It maintains that those costs are related to the deployment of hundreds of crews, the acquisition of significant mutual assistance, and repairing, rebuilding and replacing critical infrastructure damaged by the catastrophic storm surge and wind.
But in recent months, some customers have been voicing frustrations with what they call exorbitant increases in their monthly bills.
“They have been flying up,” said Michele Miller of Clermont.
Miller lives in a 2,400 sq. ft. home with three window AC units.
“It used to be $418, which is so ridiculous. We don’t have central heat and air, so we just have units, and now it $525. It just went up this month.”
“There’s times when we don’t even make it paycheck to paycheck,” she said. “It’s paycheck to probably a week before the next paycheck. It’s extremely rough.”
Other customers WESH 2 spoke with describe monthly bills in excess of $600 and $700.
Wei Sun, a professor of electrical engineering at UCF with expertise in electric power and energy systems, said customers will always want bills lowered, but utilities will continue to pass along the costs for both storm rebuilding and for grid hardening.
“Even we have hurricanes, but we probably look at history, there’s a faster recovery, and even you can make a grid more robust to be able to resist those high-speed winds,” Sun said.
He said those who have the ability should look into solar panels for the roofs of their homes or consider the types of lights in the home.
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