electricity

FPL filed a petition at the state Public Service Commission that would trim increases proposed to take effect in April.

The JEA board agreed Tuesday to raise the basic monthly charge for electricity, but another change will save money for high users.

A JEA rate increase this spring might be offset by a lower fuel cost, the amount that utilities pay to power their plants.

That's because total bills include the cost of natural gas used in power plants, which is declining in price. JEA estimates that most bills will drop over the next five months.

Electric bills should fall in November as JEA pays less to fuel its power plants.

Less than a week after Hurricane Ian knocked out power to large swaths of Florida, state regulators Tuesday approved utilities’ long-term plans to try to bolster the electric system.

By midday Wednesday, 1,280 customers had been disconnected or faced disconnection by the end of the day.

A freeze on late fees and disconnections expired Sunday. A total of 3,948 customers are facing disconnection this week.

Florida residents and businesses could get hit with higher electric bills as utilities continue to struggle with increased costs of natural gas, which is used to fuel power plants.

The biggest reason is the cost of natural gas, the main fuel source for JEA's power plants. It's higher than it's been in almost 15 years.