Groups pushing back against TECO rate hike proposal: 'Corporate greed, not corporate need'
GIBSONTON, Fla. - Wednesday is slated to be the hottest day in the Bay Area so far this year. With rising temperatures, come higher power bills.
A local coalition of environmental groups is fighting against a proposed TECO rate increase at the start of 2025 with a "No Rate Hike" pledge.
The Hillsborough Coalition of Affordable Energy consists of 20 organizations, including the Sierra Club, Food & Water Watch, and Tampa DSA.
"What we’re seeing here is a case of corporate greed, not corporate need," said Brooke Ward, Senior Florida Organizer of Food & Water Watch.
According to the coalition, in an upcoming Public Service Commission meeting on June 13 at the HCC Brandon Campus, TECO will propose a rate increase to begin in 2025.
"In the last five years we’ve seen a 62% increase in the amount that people are paying and that’s twice the rate of inflation," Ward said.
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Calista Snider with Tampa DSA said her energy bill has increased between $80 to $100 in the past year.
"I keep my house at 78 degrees, I’m sweating, and my bills are still higher than they were. I live my life very eco-consciously. I turn off appliances when I’m not using them. I run my air high, my heat low," Snider said.
Meanwhile, Walter L. Smith, Lead Organizer of the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal Campaign, said price hikes leave local marginalized groups with an ultimatum.
"Whenever you have to make a choice between paying for food to go on the table and keeping your lights on, that’s a problem," he said.
Tuesday night, the coalition launched the pledge, in hopes to get Hillsborough County Commissioner Gwen Myers to be the first to join.
"We’ve been asking our elected officials to help out. To step in. Today we are launching an official pledge for elected officials to say no to rate hikes," Ward said.
Commissioner Myers declined, stating Hillsborough County Commissioners collectively do not get involved in matters like this.
In response to these claims, a TECO spokesperson said:
"It is important to remember that next month, Tampa Electric is lowering bills for the second time this year because of a decline in fuel prices and other factors. In total, these reductions will save customers nearly $25 a month for the rest of the year, or a total of $175. Our proposed 2025 increase would enable Tampa Electric to continue to make significant investments that help meet the needs of customers and ensure reliable energy now and in the future. Because other portions of the bill are expected to drop in 2025, the proposed base-rate adjustment would have only a modest net impact on customer bills (about $5 per month from what the average customer pays today). If approved as filed, residential rates would remain one of the lowest in Florida and lower than 2023 bills."
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