Tampa Electric bills going up - St. Petersburg Times

Tampa Electric customers are facing a significant increase in their monthly bills come January to offset spiraling fuel costs. The Tampa utility today notified the Florida Public Service Commission that its fuel costs for this year will exceed projections by 9 percent with no relief expected this year, and increased costs after that.

As a result, Tampa Electric said, the tab for a residential customer who uses 1,000 kilowatt hours of electricity per month could jump from the current bill of $114.38 to about $140 starting in January.

Florida utilities are allowed to "pass through'' higher fuel costs to customers.

Comments on this article

by Nan	Jul 19, 2008 8:21 AM
Thought thiis was not susposed to happen under the current "Peoples Governor" ; he promised to control the PSC . He used to sit in on the sessions and protect us from rate hikes . Help , power or food , rent or medicine . Things are out of control !

by gman	Jul 19, 2008 8:21 AM
Well..guess we will just have to treat it like the gas bills...use less power and your bill will stay about where it is...turn out lights, turn off AC...turn of the computers...we all need to adapt to save money..they got us by the short ones

by KitKat	Jul 19, 2008 8:21 AM
So when does the customer receive a discount when fuel costs decrease? The terrorists are winning; pretty soon no one will be able to afford their homes, food, electricity. I guess I'll move inside Mammoth Cave in Kentucky... a constant 70 degrees.

by Sun	Jul 19, 2008 8:21 AM
Looks like I will be installing Solar Panels and a Wind Turbine and charging TECO for the power I create. Lets see.. build tree house, grow garden, solar power, no more bills... oh wait; Florida will bill me $10,000/yr in taxes, never mind.

by Manavis	Jul 19, 2008 8:21 AM
THis is the biggest pack of lies perpetrated on the Citizens of this area ever. If everyone else is sucking it up why shouldn't Electric Companies. They don't even use oil they use coal so how does the price of oil going up relate to coal?

by dylan	Jul 19, 2008 8:21 AM
They wonder why economy is in toilet. How can things keep goin up at this astronomical rate, and your supposed keep up with 3% raise. It's getting to the point that your going to need to be rich to raise a family.

by Patrick	Jul 19, 2008 8:21 AM
Teco, Progress Energy, it is no wonder Florida will never recover from its situation. Makes it must less atrractive to live here. THE PUBLIC SERVICES COMMISION SHOULD BE ELECTED BY THE VOTERS NOT APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR, much better for customers.

by Negrita	Jul 19, 2008 8:21 AM
Well, personally none of this seems to surprise me. First home insurance rates, then gas, food....thats just life. What were we expecting?? We just need to learn to put our trust in the Lord! "Everything I can do through Christ whom strengthens me."

by jon	Jul 19, 2008 8:20 AM
hope governor crist is enjoying his London trip.

by geri	Jul 19, 2008 7:12 AM
i can barely make other ends meet as a student living on my own without parental support. what about lower class? all of you can cancel your 500 channel cable back to basic and pay your power just fine. i live on very little.

by Chris	Jul 19, 2008 7:12 AM
If these companies are regulated, and we have no choice over power companies, why must these power companies run advertisements--Center field tropicana, teco has an ice arena in Ft. Myers...Why??? Advertisements are HUGE money!!!!

by Richard	Jul 18, 2008 6:20 PM
Everyone is allowed to increase their prices due fuel costs and employers use the same excuse not to give you a raise. (Increased operating expenses)

by Tutontow	Jul 18, 2008 5:27 PM
They will shoot for a 22% increase and then raise our bills 15% and we will all feel like we are getting a deal. TECO just ate up my raise for the year with this news. That is it. When I retire I will be leaving this screwed up state forever.

by Joe	Jul 18, 2008 4:46 PM
Screwed by our legislature, again! They authorized the "pass through" for fuel costs to us. All, so that each KWH looks inexpensive on our bill. Why the 22% raise??????

by Pat	Jul 18, 2008 4:45 PM
Another unregulated company (like the cable companies) that can do just what they want to do when they want to do it .. Nobody watches over them..

by Todd	Jul 18, 2008 4:40 PM
Just another reason why we hate corporate america. They raise prices significantly for the average person so they can give their CEO a billion dollar bonus at the end of they year. Yeah middle class.

by Greg	Jul 18, 2008 4:39 PM
I agree with Scott...what's with the fuzzy math here? Utilities are supposed to be regulated, and fuel cost is a pass-through expense. This is BS!

by JIM	Jul 18, 2008 4:37 PM
We can't make it here any more. People are going to have to make decisions - food or power; gas or medicine; home insurance or clothing. I'd like to welcome middle class Americans to the third world.

by Allan	Jul 18, 2008 4:34 PM
Expropriate TECO without compensation. Expropriate Progress Energy and Florida Power without compensation. For free electric power to all. For a workers' government and a socialist planned economy.

by Susan	Jul 18, 2008 3:10 PM
Screw you TECO - I'm over you. Why don't you take the extra money and invest in some good customer service (like, someone who actually answers the phone)?

by Scott	Jul 18, 2008 3:10 PM
So a 9% increase for them equates to a 22% increase for the customer?

by Good Times	Jul 18, 2008 3:10 PM
Sock it to em'.

by clb	Jul 18, 2008 3:10 PM
Get in line behind my other bills that are barely getting paid.

by Sue	Jul 18, 2008 3:10 PM
Why does nothing surprise me anymore? It was only a matter of time before this would happen. Between food, gas and now this, I wonder if being self employed is worth it. More than that however, I wonder when I might have to let my employee go.