Duke Energy Florida has announced that residential customers using 1,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity per month can expect their bills to decrease by about $44 starting in March 2026. This reduction follows the company’s annual rate adjustment and is largely due to the removal of the Storm Cost Recovery charge related to hurricane responses.
Melissa Seixas, Duke Energy Florida state president, said, “Duke Energy Florida understands our customers face financial challenges, often making difficult decisions regarding which bill they can afford to pay. That’s why keeping costs low remains a priority for us, and we’ll continue connecting them with assistance programs and tools to help them save.”
The rate adjustment covers several cost categories including fuel, capacity, energy conservation, storm protection plans, and environmental compliance. The company emphasized that it does not profit from increased fuel costs and works to protect customers from price fluctuations under a three-year agreement made with customer advocacy groups in 2024.
Rates for 2026 will reflect investments aimed at improving grid reliability and expanding solar energy. These changes are expected to result in fewer outages, faster recovery after storms, and lower fuel costs. Approval from the Florida Public Service Commission is anticipated later this year.
For January and February 2026, typical residential customers will see an increase of about $7.54 compared to December 2025 bills. Commercial and industrial customers may see increases between 4.3% and 8.2%, depending on various factors.
In March 2026, residential bills are projected to drop by approximately $44.16 compared to February 2026 levels. Commercial and industrial customers could see decreases ranging from 9.6% to 15.8%. The main factor behind these reductions is the elimination of charges associated with hurricane recovery efforts.
Electric rates may still fluctuate throughout the year based on changes in fuel prices or storm-related expenses.
Duke Energy Florida continues offering support through flexible payment plans and various assistance programs such as free home energy checks, rebates for efficiency upgrades, weatherization services for income-qualified households, annual bill credits for reduced usage during peak demand periods, time-of-use rate options, budget billing for predictable payments, and funds distributed by agencies to help cover electric bills or connection fees.
Customers seeking more information on these programs can visit duke-energy.com/HereToHelp or duke-energy.com/SeasonalSavings.
Duke Energy Florida supplies electricity across a service area covering 13,000 square miles in Florida and serves about two million customers. Its parent company Duke Energy is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina and operates electric utilities serving over eight million customers across six states while owning nearly 55 gigawatts of energy capacity nationwide.
More details are available at duke-energy.com or through Duke Energy’s social media channels.
