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It's not just the summer sun that's heating up your energy bill

If you received an energy bill that was much higher than your last one, here's why.
Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto
Air Conditioner system next to a home, modern clean with bushes and brick wall

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — With temperatures in the 90's, you're likely running that A/C a little more. And for some, that energy bill can really be painful to look at and even to pay.

10 Tampa Bay saw some posts on social media mentioning an increase in the amount due and questioning the bill's accuracy. If you're a Duke Energy customer, you might have noticed a bill that appeared much higher recently than past months.

The reason: Duke Energy passed along fuel savings to customers on their May bill. The company tells 10 Tampa Bay the customers saw a decrease of nearly 21 percent. So between using more energy and no fuel savings, you might have noticed the difference on your June bill.

Duke customers weren’t the only ones getting a break during the pandemic. Florida Power and Light customers already received a one-time savings of 25 percent. If you're a Tampa Electric customer, you're getting a fuel credit on your bill through August. A TECO spokesperson says that's expected to give you a 20 percent reduction on your summer bills.

Regardless of where you live or which power company you use, if you're having trouble paying your bills, give the company a call to work out a payment arrangement. You can also call 2-1-1, and the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay can help put you in touch with some charities that are helping to covering costs for those who are financially struggling right now.

Now is a good time to look for things that are using unneeded energy in your home. Simple things like turning off lights and fans you're not using can help. 

You can also make sure your computer's sleep mode or power management features are enabled—which according to Duke Energy can save up to $50 a year. Use a power strip to turn off multiple devices at once. 

When is the last time you replaced your air filter in your air conditioner? Making sure it's clean will make your HVAC run more efficiently.

Florida Power and Light suggests grilling outdoors instead of using the oven or stove which will get you’re A/C working harder. They also recommend turning off your pool pump after six hours of play to save energy.


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