Drew Dixon
Duke Energy Florida has received the green light from Florida regulators to lower its energy rates for customers in the state.
The Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) gave approval this week to Duke’s request to lower customer’s energy bills in the Sunshine State. The decrease in energy bills will begin in January.
“Duke Energy Florida is thankful for the opportunity to offer our customers this much-needed break after recent hurricanes devastated many of their homes, businesses and communities,” said Melissa Seixas, Duke Energy Florida state president. “While we’re still assessing cost of the company’s response to those storms, we want to remind our customers that we’ll always prioritize affordability – even as we work to develop a smarter, stronger electric grid – and maintain the same high level of service they expect and deserve.”
According to the rate decrease plans, a typical Duke customer in Florida will see a reduction on their monthly energy bill by $9.77 on their January bill compared to December for the use of 1,000 kilowatt hours of electricity. According to a Duke Energy news release, commercial or industrial customers could see a decrease in energy charges of 5% to 11%.
The PSC approval also allows Duke to provide upgrades to the company’s electric grid in Florida. The company also plans on improving storm protection plans along with upgrades to resiliency and reliability programs. While there will be a short-term decrease in energy rates in Florida at the beginning of 2025, Duke officials acknowledged the company will likely ask for storm-cost recovery funding impacts on their grid from hurricanes Debby in August, Helene in September and Milton in October.
The company also noted it offers financial assistance for its customers such as flexible billing and customer care programs.
Duke Energy has about 2 million customers in Florida covering about 13,000 square miles throughout the state.
