Duke Energy Florida has announced that residential customers using 1,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity can expect a decrease of about $44 in their monthly bills starting in March 2026. This change follows the company’s annual rate adjustment and is largely due to the elimination of the storm cost recovery charge associated with hurricane responses.
Melissa Seixas, president of Duke Energy in Florida, said, “Duke Energy Florida understands that our customers are facing economic difficulties, which often forces them to make tough decisions about which bills they can afford to pay. That’s why keeping costs low remains a priority for us, and we will continue connecting them with assistance programs and tools that help them save.”
The adjustment covers annual fuel costs, capacity, energy conservation efforts, storm protection plans, and environmental compliance expenses. Duke Energy Florida does not profit from increases in fuel costs and works to shield customers from price fluctuations as outlined in a three-year agreement (2025-2027) reached with customer advocacy groups in 2024.
For January and February 2026, typical residential customers will see an increase of approximately $7.54 compared to December 2025. However, by March 2026, these same customers will see their bills drop by around $44.16 compared to February. Commercial and industrial customers are expected to experience a bill increase between 4.3% and 8.2% at the start of the year but should see reductions ranging from 9.6% to 15.8% by March.
The anticipated reduction is primarily attributed to the removal of charges related to hurricane recovery efforts for storms Debby, Helene, and Milton.
Electric rates may still fluctuate throughout the year depending on fuel prices and storm-related costs.
Duke Energy Florida continues to offer various assistance programs for its customers. These include free home energy checks—available in person, online or by phone—and rebates for efficiency improvements after completing an energy check. There is also a weatherization program for income-qualified households offering free efficiency upgrades if household income is below twice the federal poverty guidelines.
Other support includes the EnergyWise Home program that provides annual bill credits for reducing usage during peak demand periods; time-of-use rates offering lower prices for shifting consumption outside high-demand hours; budget billing plans for predictable monthly payments; and the Share the Light Fund that helps pay electric bills or deposits through participating agencies.
More information on these programs can be found at duke-energy.com/HereToHelp and duke-energy.com/SeasonalSavings.
Duke Energy Florida serves about two million residential, commercial, and industrial customers across a 13,000-square-mile area in Florida with a generating capacity of 12,300 megawatts.
Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), based in Charlotte, North Carolina, supplies electricity to approximately 8.4 million customers across six states including Florida. The company has an owned capacity of nearly 54,800 megawatts and also provides natural gas service to about 1.7 million customers in five states.
The company continues its transition toward cleaner energy sources while investing in grid improvements and maintaining reliability for its customers.
Additional details are available at duke-energy.com or through Duke Energy’s social media channels including X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, as well as their news center website.
“Duke Energy Florida understands that our customers are facing economic difficulties, which often forces them to make tough decisions about which bills they can afford to pay. That’s why keeping costs low remains a priority for us, and we will continue connecting them with assistance programs and tools that help them save.” – Melissa Seixas
