TAMPA, Fla. (WFTS) — Like so many others, Anthony Marinelli was in for a shock looking at his electric bill.
"I was definitely expecting a little bit of a hike. Come Florida summer, you know, living in Florida, we always have a little bit, but this just went up and up and up, and it stayed there. And I'm like, 'Okay, is this, is this what to expect for the coming months? Now I don't know what to gauge, to kind of plan for to pay my bills," Marinelli added.
Every month this summer, he's seen his TECO Utility bill increase. It was $253 in April. In July, it jumped to $470.
"It's Florida. You go inside. You want to be in A/C. I work from home. I want to be comfortable. I've got dogs. I want them to be comfortable, so it's a matter of not sacrificing a level of comfort and sacrificing other means to make sure that we can pay the bills so that way everybody is happy," he added.
We asked TECO about the increasing cost of utilities. Spokesperson Cheri Jacobs said there are multiple reasons for the increase.
"If you think about it, you know, in a typical summer, if it's 90 degrees, and you're setting your thermostat at, say 70, 72, you're lowering that temperature about 20 degrees. But right now, it feels like it's over 100. And so at that same thermostat setting, your air conditioning has to work extra hard to bring it down to the temperature that you want," she explained.
TECO also tacked on an additional 10% to payments in April.
"That was due to a spike in natural gas prices from the previous year. We use natural gas in our power plants to create electricity," Jacobs said. "And the other reason bills were adjusted was because of storm costs from last year from Hurricanes Ian and Nicole to repair damage from storms."
TECO reported at the time that the increase would add $14.41, bringing the base rate to $161.13 for 1,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of use from the $146.72 customers pay today.
She offered tips for seeing the cost go down. She said to set your thermostat to 78. You should also use your ceiling fan and blinds more to block out the heat.
TECO users can also go into their accounts and see which appliances are pulling the most energy. That can help people determine appropriate usage.
TECO also has energy-saving programs that could cut down on costs, such as Primetime Plus.
"This saves a few dollars on your power bill in exchange for allowing Tampa Electric to be able to control certain appliances during times of peak need; air conditioner, pool pump, water heater, and you get a few dollars off your bill every month," she said.
But there are some people looking at their bill and thinking there's no way they can pay it all. Tampa Electric announced Wednesday its plans to donate $1 million to the Share Program. In partnership with the Salvation Army and Catholic Charities, people in need can apply to get financial assistance paying their bills.
"Since January of 2022, we've helped nearly 4,000 people pay their utility bills. So adding a million dollars to that fund, we will be able to help 1,000s of additional people," she said.
You can find information about assistance from TECO here.
