Residents could see higher electric bills after Friday filings by energy companies
TAMPA, Fla. - Bay Area residents could see increases in their monthly electric bills after Duke and TECO Energy companies filed for additional hurricane restoration costs with the state on Friday.
Anywhere from a $21-31 increase in their monthly bill, in fact.
TECO Power Plant draws manatees to its warm waters as the temperatures drop.
After responding to Hurricanes Debby, Helene, and Milton in 2024, the two companies say these price hikes are necessary.
READ: TECO's proposed price hike faces backlash
If Duke Energy is awarded filings made with Florida’s Public Service Commission (FPSC) today to recover an estimated $1.1 billion, customers would see a $21 increase in their monthly bill in March 2025.
Duke Energy cites "mobilizing more than 27,000 workers and additional resources for approximately 2 million impacted customers" as one of the reasons for the monthly increase in customer bills going forward.
Citing storms, FPL looks to increase customers monthly bill
According to the company, monthly increases will remain on Duke Energy customers’ bills through February 2026.
Repairs being done to the Duke Energy utility pole on Monday, Nov. 22.
Melissa Seixas, the President of Duke Energy Florida, said the company’s goal was to restore power to its customers "quickly and safely" after the hurricanes and that the "filings reflect the costs of those efforts."
Also, on Friday, Tampa Electric Company (TECO) filed for an additional $464 million in hurricane-related restoration from the FPSC. This comes after the state approved $287.9 million in additional funding for TECO in December, responsible for a roughly $5 monthly increase for residential customers.
READ: State signs off on Tampa electric hikes
Archie Collins, the President and CEO of TECO, said the company "understands the hardship these storms have caused in our community and recognizes that this cost increase will be challenging for some customers." He maintained that the company is "ready to help where we can."
FPL power crews repair damaged power lines after hurricane.
On Friday, the power companies' filings with the FPSC joined additional hurricane-related filings made by Florida Power & Light (FPL) earlier in 2024. They were granted a $1.2 billion interim recovery in December.
While the FPSC still needs to approve these filings, most Bay Area residents can expect their average energy bills to increase monthly in 2025.
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