Escambia Commission wants review of FPL rates

News Service of Florida 

TALLAHASSEE — The Escambia County Commission has joined other local governments in asking the state Public Service Commission to take another look at Florida Power & Light’s rates.

In a letter posted Monday on the Public Service Commission website, Escambia County Commission Chairman Jeff Bergosh asked the PSC to reconsider a decision that allowed the utility to raise base rates as of Jan. 1.

Also, customer bills have gone up because of higher-than-expected prices for natural gas that is used to fuel power plants. Bergosh asked for a hearing to be held in Escambia County.

“Over the last several months we have been inundated with angry complaints from our constituents who have pleaded with us to help them get answers as to why their Florida Power and Light bills have increased so dramatically (in some cases more than doubling month over month),” Bergosh wrote.

The letter was similar to requests made by officials in other Northwest Florida communities, including Pensacola and Santa Rosa County.

The Public Service Commission in October approved a settlement that included the base-rate hike. Part of the settlement involved integrating the rates of FPL and the former Gulf Power after a merger. As part of the transition, former Gulf customers in Northwest Florida pay more than FPL customers in other areas and more than customers of Duke Energy Florida and Tampa Electric Co.

Article reposted with permission from the News Service of Florida.