FPL (Florida) increases minimum monthly bill to $25 (plus taxes and fees)

[FurryOne]

Here in Upstate NY the minimum charge is $17.33 & fees, which comes to just under $18.

 

[Pearl1!]

Honestly, I think it’s pretty fair. We have a minimum $30 monthly bill here in Upstate SC with Duke Energy. The basic “facilities fee” is usually around $15 or so for everyone, so in reality they’re charging you $15 more to support the grid since you are paying $0 in per kWh charges (that also pay for the grid). It’s similar to not buying gas and thus paying no gas tax bc you drive an EV. You still have to support the infrastructure like every other citizen.

Additionally, regardless of whether you use their power or not, the power company still has to service your address. You are NOT off the grid; you are still connected to their service. Therefore, you must support capital investments and the cost of them providing your address with service same as everyone else. Your solar benefit lies in not having to purchase and pay for power from them.

We can quibble about what that amounts to and what the minimum bill should be, but at the end of the day I think it’s fair on principle. Just my 2 cents.

Funny thing is, when this was brought before the Florida Legislature no financial analysis or business case was presented. The $25 was kind of out thin air. Bare in mind Nextra Energy post profits in the billions. My going solar, FPL lost a good customer.

 

[ptdusn]

Don't feel bad, SRP here in Arizona the "mandatory" Service Fee is $32. There is a court case against it, saying it's an unfair practice due to regular electric customers not having one.

 

[Tronguy]

You guys are going to kill me.

In New Jersey the minimum charge to be connected to the grid is $4.95.

We also got Net Metering. So long as one's running balance is negative (i.e., the sum over Period_Over_Time has more energy going out than in), then one pays that minimum. If the balance goes positive, say, during a dark winter, then, and only then, does one pay normal retail electric rates.

At the end of a year of this, if one has a negative balance, said balance gets zeroed out and one gets paid wholesale rates for the electricity one has dumped into the grid. With the balance at zero, one starts the process all over again.

It's been like this for at least 15 years. Although the connection fee was raised from $2.95 a few years back.

The implication is that, on average, it costs the local utilities $4.95 per homeowner to keep the wires connected.

 

[Matt-FL]

On a positive note, I'm on a Florida utility - JEA (Jacksonville Electric Authority). My 'basic monthly charge' is $15/month, however my export kWh subtracts from that minimum, and, since JEA is also my water and sewer company, it further subtracts into those bills (electric/water/sewer is in a single bill). In my best month, I subtracted an extra $30 of my water and sewer bill after my electric bill was -$30.

It does take some extra sizing to get a zero electric bill, but at the same time JEA doesn't appear to have a maximum usage % to solar capabilities you can install on your residence. I planned mine for about 150%, but having solar meant to my wife that she can now turn down the AC much further. So, I'm averaging about 123% in my first year.