Electric bills going up for JEA customers starting in December - WJXT News4JAX

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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – JEA sent out an email on Tuesday to all its customers, and it’s not the holiday greeting we like to get.

It says you’ll be paying more for your electric bill, starting in December.

“Well, nobody likes an increase, but you got to have lights,” said JEA customer Greg Gordan.

It’s not a rate increase — it’s actually called a fuel adjustment charge, which the utility’s board approved in October. JEA can pass on what it costs the utility to produce electricity. The cost of natural gas has skyrocketed in the past few months. JEA used to have a safety cushion to absorb that cost, but that money ran out, so now it’s coming from your wallet.

JEA anticipates that the average household bill will go up about $6 in December. After that, the average household bill could increase by an additional $10 a month. If the cost of natural gas drops, your bill will come down.

JEO CEO Jay Stowe, who has held the job for a year, was out of town on Tuesday but spoke to News4JAX by phone about this.

“We have put in a mechanism that will adjust it each month. It will go up or down based on our actual cost. I suspect we will have a couple of increases and then it will stabilize and go down,” JEO CEO Jay Stowe told News4JAX on Tuesday.

News4JAX asked Stowe about future increases for JEA, particularly when it comes to Plant Vogtle — the much delayed, over budget, controversial nuclear power plant being built in Georgia that JEA is responsible for more than $3 billion in cost and that’s expected to lead to rate increases down the line.

“I suspect within the next year or so, we will have some tweaks to all of our rates electric water, and wastewater may have some increases. What we’re trying to do is have small regular increases when it’s appropriate,” Stowe said.

Stowe took over at the time of turmoil for the utility, whose former CEO Aaron Zahn and others are still under investigation by the feds. Stowe says that he’s pleased with his new management team and that’s the highlight of the year.

Below is the full message that was sent to JEA customers from Stowe:

Dear Valued JEA Customer,

When I joined JEA one year ago, I promised to strengthen our commitment to Northeast Florida and to you. Our new leadership team and our 2,000-person workforce is working hard to provide you with reliable electricity and water service at the lowest possible cost. As challenges arise, it is our responsibility to be open and transparent about potential impacts on you.

Like many other businesses, for the past several months, JEA has experienced sharp rises in fuel costs due to global supply chain constraints and fuel shortages. While our diverse energy mix helps us offer you electricity at the lowest price possible, it is costing us a great deal more this year to purchase many of the fuels that are needed to run the power plants that serve you.

As part of your monthly electric bill, you pay a fuel charge. Beginning in December, this charge will fluctuate each month to reflect JEA’s real-time fuel costs. As a result, we anticipate that the average household bill will go up about $6. It’s important to keep in mind that the fuel charge may decrease in the future, as market conditions affecting global fuel prices change.

Our promise is to keep a close watch on fuel prices and do everything we can to save money when we buy fuel, as well as offer you programs, services and tips to help you save. In addition, when JEA’s cost of fuel goes down, we will reduce the monthly fuel charge and pass those savings along to you.

Thank you for giving us the privilege to serve you and your family. And, as always, be safe.

Jay

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