• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
MENUMENU
MENUMENU
  • Home
  • About
    • Contact Us
    • FlaglerLive Board of Directors
    • Comment Policy
    • Mission Statement
    • Our Values
    • Privacy Policy
  • Live Calendar
  • Submit Obituary
  • Submit an Event
  • Support FlaglerLive
  • Advertise on FlaglerLive (386) 503-3808
  • Search Results

FlaglerLive

No Bull, no Fluff, No Smudges

MENUMENU
  • Flagler
    • Flagler County Commission
    • Beverly Beach
    • Flagler History
    • Mondex/Daytona North
    • The Hammock
    • Tourist Development Council
    • Marineland
  • Palm Coast
    • Palm Coast City Council
    • Palm Coast Crime
  • Bunnell
    • Bunnell City Commission
    • Bunnell Crime
  • Flagler Beach
    • Flagler Beach City Commission
    • Flagler Beach Crime
  • Cops/Courts
    • Circuit & County Court
    • Florida Supreme Court
    • Federal Courts
    • Flagler 911
    • Fire House
    • Flagler County Sheriff
    • Flagler Jail Bookings
    • Traffic Accidents
  • Rights & Liberties
    • First Amendment
    • Second Amendment
    • Third Amendment
    • Fourth Amendment
    • Fifth Amendment
    • Sixth Amendment
    • Seventh Amendment
    • Eighth Amendment
    • 14th Amendment
    • Sunshine Law
    • Religion & Beliefs
    • Privacy
    • Civil Rights
    • Human Rights
    • Immigration
    • Labor Rights
  • Schools
    • Adult Education
    • Belle Terre Elementary
    • Buddy Taylor Middle
    • Bunnell Elementary
    • Charter Schools
    • Daytona State College
    • Flagler County School Board
    • Flagler Palm Coast High School
    • Higher Education
    • Imagine School
    • Indian Trails Middle
    • Matanzas High School
    • Old Kings Elementary
    • Rymfire Elementary
    • Stetson University
    • Wadsworth Elementary
    • University of Florida/Florida State
  • Economy
    • Jobs & Unemployment
    • Business & Economy
    • Development & Sprawl
    • Leisure & Tourism
    • Local Business
    • Local Media
    • Real Estate & Development
    • Taxes
  • Commentary
    • The Conversation
    • Pierre Tristam
    • Diane Roberts
    • Guest Columns
    • Byblos
    • Editor's Blog
  • Culture
    • African American Cultural Society
    • Arts in Palm Coast & Flagler
    • Books
    • City Repertory Theatre
    • Flagler Auditorium
    • Flagler Playhouse
    • Special Events
  • Elections 2024
    • Amendments and Referendums
    • Presidential Election
    • Campaign Finance
    • City Elections
    • Congressional
    • Constitutionals
    • Courts
    • Governor
    • Polls
    • Voting Rights
  • Florida
    • Federal Politics
    • Florida History
    • Florida Legislature
    • Florida Legislature
    • Ron DeSantis
  • Health & Society
    • Flagler County Health Department
    • Ask the Doctor Column
    • Health Care
    • Health Care Business
    • Covid-19
    • Children and Families
    • Medicaid and Medicare
    • Mental Health
    • Poverty
    • Violence
  • All Else
    • Daily Briefing
    • Americana
    • Obituaries
    • News Briefs
    • Weather and Climate
    • Wildlife

FPL Will Bill You an Extra $40 This Year For Restoring Power During Hurricane Matthew

February 7, 2017 | FlaglerLive | 2 Comments

fpl hurricane matthew costs
Pay up. (© FlaglerLive)

Whether they took the brunt of Hurricane Matthew or experienced a rainy breeze, Florida Power & Light customers will spend the next year paying for the utility’s response to the early October storm.


The state Public Service Commission on Tuesday approved — with little comment — a $318.5 million request by FPL to cover the costs of restoring power after the storm pummeled parts of the East Coast. Part of the money also will help the company replenish its storm reserve fund, which stood at $93.1 million before Matthew.

The charge will add $3.36 to the monthly bills of typical residential customers who use 1,000 kilowatt hours of electricity a month. The charge will be in place for 12 months.

The Public Service Commission agreed to let FPL work with the state Office of Public Counsel to schedule hearings in about a year to determine if the recovery charge has generated enough or more money than needed by the company. If it is more than needed, customers could receive refunds. The Office of Public Counsel represents consumers in utility cases.

FPL attorney John Butler said the company expects to have final numbers on the cost of the recovery effort by the middle of this year.

FPL is “still incurring some costs and we’re still collecting final information on invoicing for costs that were incurred,” Butler told the commission.

With the addition of the storm recovery charge, the typical 1,000-kilowatt hour bill will stand at $102.37 a month starting in March.

The storm charge follows the commission approval in late 2016 of a four-year $811 million base-rate increase that pushed up the typical residential customer’s 1,000-kilowatt hour monthly bill by $6.93 in January. The base-rate hike will require additional increases in January 2018 and June 2019.

“We understand that no one ever wants to pay higher rates, but fortunately, FPL’s 1,000-kWh customer bill — even with the temporary hurricane recovery surcharge — will continue to be lower than it was in 2006 and approximately 25 percent lower than the national average,” company spokesman David McDermitt said in a prepared statement Tuesday.

Matthew, a powerful storm that pounded the East Coast on Oct. 6 and Oct. 7, knocked out power to approximately 1.2 million FPL customers. While FPL service was lost as far south as Miami-Dade County, counties to the north such as St. Johns, Flagler, Volusia and Brevard experienced the brunt of Matthew, which did not make landfall in Florida.

The company estimated that 14,600 company employees and contractors replaced over 250 miles of wire, more than 900 transformers, and over 400 poles, with 99 percent of customers back on line within two days.

FPL based its request to recoup the costs on part of a 2012 settlement agreement in a base-rate case. It said the settlement allows it to collect restoration costs above the amount in a storm reserve and to replenish the reserve.

In filings with the commission, FPL estimated restoration costs at $316.8 million and said it is entitled to recover $293.8 million of that amount from customers after adjustments related, at least in part, to an accounting methodology. The storm reserve partially offset that total, leaving $200.7 million to be recovered.

FPL also contended it was entitled to collect $117.1 million to replenish the storm reserve.

–Jim Turner, News Service of Florida

Support FlaglerLive's End of Year Fundraiser
Thank you readers for getting us to--and past--our year-end fund-raising goal yet again. It’s a bracing way to mark our 15th year at FlaglerLive. Our donors are just a fraction of the 25,000 readers who seek us out for the best-reported, most timely, trustworthy, and independent local news site anywhere, without paywall. FlaglerLive is free. Fighting misinformation and keeping democracy in the sunshine 365/7/24 isn’t free. Take a brief moment, become a champion of fearless, enlightening journalism. Any amount helps. We’re a 501(c)(3) non-profit news organization. Donations are tax deductible.  
You may donate openly or anonymously.
We like Zeffy (no fees), but if you prefer to use PayPal, click here.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. beachcomberT says

    February 8, 2017 at 6:55 am

    Wondering if FPL had to borrow money to cover storm repairs. Since hurricanes and tornadoes are part of life in Florida, seems like either FPL or the Public Service Commission should be blamed for having an insufficient Rainy Day Fund. Maybe an FPL exec will “enlighten” us.

    Loading...
  2. The Ghost of America says

    February 8, 2017 at 6:37 pm

    How do I bill fpl for 4 days worth of ‘workers are in your area your power will be on today?’

    Loading...

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  • Conner Bosch law attorneys lawyers offices palm coast flagler county
  • grand living realty
  • politis matovina attorneys for justice personal injury law auto truck accidents

Primary Sidebar

  • grand living realty
  • politis matovina attorneys for justice personal injury law auto truck accidents

Recent Comments

  • Edith Campins on Palm Coast Attorney Marc Dwyer on the End of Open Carry Ban: Correct Decision, Not Without Street Consequences
  • Florida Girl on Man, 68, Accused of Wielding Knife and Chasing 2 Juveniles and 18-Year-Old at Palm Coast Walmart
  • DaleL on Palm Coast Attorney Marc Dwyer on the End of Open Carry Ban: Correct Decision, Not Without Street Consequences
  • Mothersworry on Flagler Beach Tells County: No Joint Talks on Taxing District Unless You Revive Sales Tax for Beach Protection
  • not sure solution on Palm Coast Scraps Ebike Speed Limit and Lowers Age Allowance to 11 as Council Refines Rules and Seeks More Input
  • Ray W. on The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Tuesday, September 16, 2025
  • Ray W. on The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Tuesday, September 16, 2025
  • Ron on Flagler Beach Tells County: No Joint Talks on Taxing District Unless You Revive Sales Tax for Beach Protection
  • M. M. on Shock, Sadness, Anxiety: Flagler County Leaders Grapple with Charlie Kirk Assassination, and Worry About What’s Next
  • Take a good look on Rymfire Elementary Student, 11, Arrested After Threatening to Bring “Guns” to School in Response to Bullying
  • Gina on Rymfire Elementary Student, 11, Arrested After Threatening to Bring “Guns” to School in Response to Bullying
  • SleepTech on Rymfire Elementary Student, 11, Arrested After Threatening to Bring “Guns” to School in Response to Bullying
  • Mr. Bill on In Florida, We Want Guns in Our Streets, Not Rainbows
  • Ray W. on The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Monday, September 15, 2025
  • Ray W. on The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Tuesday, September 16, 2025
  • Thomas Hutson on Charlie Kirk Wanted American Education Wrested from Liberals

Log in

%d