Staff Reports
Duke Energy Florida has requested lower rates for customers in 2025, part of an annual adjustment based on the cost of fuel used to generate electricity at the energy company’s power plants.
The request to the Florida Public Service Commission seeks a 6% reduction while still undergoing grid improvements to enhance service reliability and strengthen security and resilience efforts. If approved, the average residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt-hours would see a decrease of $9.77 on their January 2025 bill.
Commercial and industrial customers would see decreased bills ranging from 5% to more than 11%. A more specific estimate is difficult to establish for commercial and industrial customers because several factors impact their bills.
According to Duke, the requested reduction reflects investments in the company’s energy grid, which results in fewer outages and shorter restoration times, and new investments in solar energy.
“Duke Energy is consistently looking for creative ways to reduce rates and provide financial relief to our customers,” Duke Energy Florida State President Melissa Seixas said. “We work to deliver real value, including a stronger, more reliable grid and cleaner energy.”
The proposed 2025 rates also represent an agreement reached between Duke and its customer representatives, the company said in an announcement. That includes Duke’s commitment to passing savings onto customers.
Duke Energy Florida supplies electricity to 2 million residential, commercial, and industrial customers across 13,000 square miles of service area throughout the state. Throughout its entire electric utility service area, which also includes North Carolina, South Carolina, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, Duke services 8.4 million customers. Another 1.7 million customers are served by Duke’s natural gas utilities in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio, and Kentucky.
Duke Energy expects a decision on its proposed rate reduction sometime this year before the proposed rates take effect in January 2025.
