Duke Energy Florida has announced that it will remove the storm cost recovery charge from customers’ bills a month earlier than planned. The charge was put in place to recover approximately $1.1 billion in costs related to hurricanes Debby, Helene, and Milton.
Starting in February, residential customers using 1,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity per month can expect their bills to decrease by about $33 compared to January. Commercial and industrial customers will also see reductions between 9.6% and 15.8%, depending on usage and other factors.
Melissa Seixas, Duke Energy Florida state president, said: “We understand all of our customers have been affected by the rising costs of living, many may be facing financial challenges, and some are even having to decide which bills they can afford to pay every month. It was important to us that our customers get this significant rate relief as soon as possible while we continue to deliver the safe, reliable power they expect and deserve.”
Another decrease for residential customers is scheduled for March, when bills will drop by an additional $11 per 1,000 kilowatt-hours due to Duke Energy Florida’s annual seasonal adjustment for higher energy use periods. In total, March bills will be about $44 lower than those in January.
Duke Energy Florida has recently made several moves aimed at lowering customer costs. Efficiency improvements at its natural gas plants have saved customers $340 million in fuel costs—resulting in an estimated $10 monthly savings per customer—and the completion of three new solar energy sites has led to another $750 million in savings from reduced fuel expenses. Additionally, the company passed on $65 million in Inflation Reduction Act tax credits to its customers, providing at least $2.50 in savings per 1,000 kilowatt-hours for residential users.
The company says it remains committed to helping customers manage their energy use and bills through flexible payment plans and practical savings options available at duke-energy.com/SeasonalSavings.
Duke Energy Florida supplies electricity across a 13,000-square-mile area in Florida and serves about two million customers with a capacity of 12,300 megawatts.
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