TAMPA, Fla. — Florida Power & Light (FPL) customers could be hit with higher electric bills come April.
The state's largest power utility company, which services more than 5 million customers, proposed a plan to increase bills by 10%. In a news release, FPL cited costs from last year's hurricanes and a worldwide spike in natural gas prices as reasons for the proposed price hike.
"Even with the proposed increase, FPL bills would remain well below the national average," the company said in a release.
In order for the price change to take effect, state regulators will have to approve FPL's plan.
In the meantime, however, the power company is encouraging customers to start practicing energy-saving tips, including:
- changing your A/C filter once a month,
- lowering the temperature on your water heater,
- turning off ceiling fans when you're not in the room,
- limiting the time you run your pool pump,
- replacing old showerheads with water-efficient showerheads,
- adjusting the water level on your washing machine
- and using the auto-sensor function on your dryer.
FPL has additional tools for calculating how much energy your appliances use.