JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The JEA Board of Directors on Tuesday discussed possible upcoming rate hikes for customers during a board meeting.
Under the current proposal, residential customers’ basic monthly and energy charges would increase by 5% and 4%, respectively.
JEA said that based on fuel charge projections for April, this would represent a less-than-$1 increase in electric portions of the bill for 1,000 kWh of consumption.
JEA said its current fuel rate projections for the winter months are in the low-mid $40′s range, with a projected retreat during Spring 2024 to the low-mid $30′s range.
But while fuel costs are going down, paying for the controversial Plant Vogtle is going up, so that means your bill is going up, too.
“Although JEA has worked hard to keep the proposed increase as modest and reasonable as possible for customers, we do understand that any residential rate increase is a greater burden for those least able to make ends meet,” a JEA spokeswoman told News4JAX.
If approved at JEA’s March 26 board meeting, rate increases would take effect April 1.
“Right now a lot of individual residents in our community are at a disadvantage. I think we need to maintain the course of the ship without raising rates,” customer Carnell Oliver said.
JEA CEO Jay Stowe said fuel is cheaper than a year ago so that price is down but energy costs are up.
“The energy cost is primarily to pay for Plant Vogtle. The nuclear plant, that one unit came on last year, another unit comes on this year. When it comes online, it’s a higher charge for us to be able to use that electricity. The good news it is carbon-free, base load energy. But it is more expensive.”
The total rate is cheaper than what it was last April so Stowe said customers can expect variable rates each year depending on energy and fuel costs.