Lineman Forum: Power - Good news about your January FPL bill - Lineman Forum

Good news about your January FPL bill: It includes a 40 percent one-time credit
February 03, 2010

Wondering why there is a credit is on your Florida Power & Light Co. bill? It's a one-time fuel cost refund.

As customers receive their January statements, the fuel credit is easing the shock of bills that spiked from increased energy use during the 12-day cold snap. Florida shivered through a string of freezing days, which in turn caused people to turn up their thermostats or fire up their space heaters. That led to record-breaking power demand.

The fuel-charge credit normally would have been spread over 12 months. But this year it will all be credited in January, the company said in a brochure delivered with bills. That's because Florida Public Service Commissioner Nathan Skop wanted customers to receive the credit in a one-time payment, and the commission approved his idea.

In November, FPL calculated the fuel cost refund amount at 4.446 cents per kilowatt-hour based on projected sales in January. The total amount of $364.8 million is divided among the company's 4.5 million customer accounts.

Only customers of record receive the refund, the PSC said in its order. So, people who are no longer FPL customers do not receive it. Neither, obviously, do customers of other utilities, such as those that serve Lake Worth and Fort Pierce.


http://www.istockana...ticleid/3835571