Duke Energy Florida has announced that residential customers using 1,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per month will see their bills decrease by about $44 starting in March 2026. The reduction comes as part of the company’s annual rate adjustment and is largely due to the elimination of the storm cost recovery charge related to hurricane responses.
Melissa Seixas, president of Duke Energy in Florida, stated: “Duke Energy Florida understands that our customers are facing economic hardships, which often force them to make difficult decisions about which bills they can afford to pay. That’s why keeping costs low remains a priority for us, and we will continue connecting them with assistance programs and tools to help them save.”
The upcoming rate changes reflect annual adjustments for fuel costs, capacity, energy conservation, storm protection plans, and environmental compliance expenses. Duke Energy Florida does not profit from increases in fuel costs and works to shield customers from price fluctuations as outlined in a three-year agreement (2025-2027) reached with customer advocacy groups in 2024.
The new rates for 2026 also account for investments aimed at improving grid reliability and expanding solar power. These efforts are expected to result in fewer outages, faster restoration after storms, and lower fuel costs. Approval from the Florida Public Service Commission is anticipated later this year.
From January through February 2026, typical residential customers consuming 1,000 kWh may see an increase of about $7.54 compared to December 2025 bills. However, beginning in March 2026, these same customers should expect their monthly bill to drop by approximately $44.16 compared to February.
Commercial and industrial customers will experience different impacts: between January and February 2026 there may be an increase ranging from 4.3% to 8.2% over December 2025 levels; but by March these customers could see reductions between 9.6% and 15.8% compared with February figures.
The primary reason for the March reduction is the removal of charges associated with recovering storm-related costs from hurricanes Debby, Helene, and Milton.
Electric rates may still fluctuate during the year based on changes in fuel prices or additional storm-related expenses.
To assist those who need support managing their energy use or paying bills, Duke Energy Florida offers several programs:
– Free home energy assessments
– Rebates for efficiency improvements following an assessment
– Weatherization assistance for qualifying low-income households
– Annual bill credits through the EnergyWise Home program for reducing consumption during peak demand
– Time-of-use rates encouraging off-peak usage
– Budget billing options for predictable monthly payments
– The Share the Light Fund provides financial aid via partner agencies
More information on these programs can be found at duke-energy.com/HereToHelp and duke-energy.com/SeasonalSavings.
Duke Energy Florida serves around two million residential, commercial, and industrial customers across a service area covering roughly 13,000 square miles in Florida with a generating capacity of about 12,300 megawatts.
Parent company Duke Energy operates electric utilities serving approximately 8.4 million customers across six states including North Carolina, South Carolina, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky as well as Florida—with total owned generation capacity reaching nearly 54,800 megawatts—and natural gas utilities serving another 1.7 million people across five states.
The company continues its transition toward cleaner energy sources while investing in grid modernization projects intended to maintain reliable service and manage costs.
For further details visit duke-energy.com or follow Duke Energy on X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn, Instagram or Facebook.
“Duke Energy Florida entiende que nuestros clientes se enfrentan a dificultades económicas, lo que a menudo les obliga a tomar decisiones difíciles sobre qué facturas pueden permitirse pagar”, afirmó Melissa Seixas, presidenta de Duke Energy en el estado de Florida. “Por eso, mantener los costos bajos sigue siendo una prioridad para nosotros y seguiremos poniéndolos en contacto con programas de asistencia y herramientas que les ayuden a ahorrar.”
