The Florida Public Service Commission has approved what those opposed call one of the highest Florida Power & Light rate increases in history, and the rising costs are estimated to affect about 12 million customers.
The FPL rate increase was approved Nov. 20, over objections of advocates for the elderly, conservation groups, and the state-appointed advocate for Florida ratepayers, who called the proposal “disproportionately favorable” to corporate interests, the Associated Press reported.
FPL is the largest power company in Florida. Here’s what to know.
Your FPL power bill won’t go up yet, but likely soon. Starting in 2026 and for three years after most of the company’s utility customers can expect rates to increase.
The Florida Public Service Commission voted Nov. 20 to approve a Florida Power and Light four-year rate schedule reached in August negotiations.
After months of public debate with 10 key stakeholders, opponents and FPL, commissioners discussed pros and cons of the agreement for before voting to approve it at a Special Agenda meeting.
The Florida Power & Light rate hikes are scheduled to being on Jan. 1, 2026 and be in effect through 2029.
The monthly bill for a typical Florida customer will climb next year by $2.50 to $136.64, with some rising as high as averaging close to $150 per month over the span of the agreement.
Under the approved settlement, FPL said it will see its revenues increase by $945 million in 2026 and $766 million in 2027.
It is estimated that 12 million Floridians will be affected by the rate increases starting in 2026.
FPL customers will pay hundreds of dollars more each year than they did in 2021, when legal filing’s show the typical monthly bill was $101.70, according to legal filings in the case, the AP reported.
Power bills must go up, FPL says, because more people are moving to Florida, which is also the most vulnerable to hurricanes.
The Florida Public Service Commission, a state board appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, approved the rate hike, instead of a counterproposal from the Florida Office of Public Counsel.
The settlement agreement was opposed by the Office of Public Counsel, which represents FPL’s 6 million customers, and a handful of other groups, including Florida Rising and Floridians Against Unfair Rates, which was founded to fight the rate hikes.
The Pensacola News Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network, reported the backlash.
