Sunprint
The short answer
If your FPL bill jumped, check two numbers on it before anything else: the kWh you used and the number of days in the billing period. Compare both with the same month last year. Most of the time, one of them explains the jump.
The most common cause is simply summer. Air conditioning is the biggest single use of electricity in a Florida home, and in the hot months FPL says cooling makes up about 60% of your bill. FPL also charges more for every kWh past the first 1,000 in a month, so the bill can grow faster than your usage does.
The 7 usual reasons an FPL bill is high
- Hot weather and your AC. Over a full year, federal survey data put air conditioning at roughly 4,400 of the 14,000 kWh a typical Florida home uses: about a third, and more than any other single use. In summer the share is far higher. A few degrees hotter outside, or a thermostat set a few degrees cooler, shows up fast.
- You crossed 1,000 kWh. FPL's standard residential rate has two tiers. Every kWh past 1,000 in a month costs about 2 cents more, because both the energy charge and the fuel charge step up. The typical Florida home averages about 1,170 kWh a month over a year, so many homes cross that line every summer month.
- More days in the billing period. FPL has said its billing periods usually run 29 to 35 days. A 35-day bill covers about 20% more days than a 29-day one, with no change in how you use power.
- A cold snap. Many Florida homes heat with a heat pump that has backup electric heat strips. When it gets cold, the strips switch on and use far more electricity than the heat pump alone, so one cold week in January can produce a surprise bill.
- Rates changed. FPL's new base rates took effect in January 2026, and the approved plan steps up again in 2027. The fuel charge can also change during the year as fuel costs move.
- Budget Billing caught up. On Budget Billing, FPL bills a rolling 12-month average and tracks the difference from your actual charges as a deferred balance, applied gradually to future bills. After a hot summer the average rises, and if you leave the program, any remaining balance lands on your next bill.
- Something at home changed. A longer pool pump schedule, a second fridge, an electric vehicle, house guests, or an AC that's struggling and running longer than it should all add kWh. If your usage jumped and the weather didn't, look here.
What 1,000, 1,500 and 2,000 kWh cost at FPL
The table applies FPL's January 2026 rate sheet for its standard home rate, RS-1, to a few monthly usage levels. Each total includes the $10.52 monthly base charge; taxes and local fees, which vary by city, come on top.
| Used in the month | Bill before taxes and fees | Average per kWh |
|---|---|---|
| 1,000 kWh | $133.10 | 13.3 cents |
| 1,500 kWh | $204.39 | 13.6 cents |
| 2,000 kWh | $275.68 | 13.8 cents |
| 2,500 kWh | $346.97 | 13.9 cents |
Go from 1,000 to 2,000 kWh and the bill goes from about $133 to about $276, a little more than double, because every kWh past 1,000 costs about 14.3 cents instead of 12.3. That's the energy charge (7.865 cents, then 8.865), the fuel charge (2.893 cents, then 3.893) and about 1.5 cents of other clauses, mostly FPL's storm protection charge.
FPL Northwest Florida, the former Gulf Power area, has its own rates, so these numbers don't apply there.
Is my FPL bill going up?
Yes, gradually. Florida regulators approved a four-year rate plan for FPL in November 2025. Here is what FPL says a 1,000 kWh home bill will be in its main service area:
| Year | Typical 1,000 kWh bill |
|---|---|
| Before the plan | $134.14 |
| 2026 | $136.64 |
| 2027 | $143.05 |
| 2028 | $146.24 |
| 2029 | $148.15 |
That's about 2.5% a year on average, with the biggest step in 2027. The plan isn't settled for every year: the state Office of Public Counsel and other consumer advocates took the approval to the Florida Supreme Court, and a ruling could change the later years. In FPL Northwest Florida, a 1,000 kWh bill fell from $143.60 to $141.36 in 2026, by FPL's figures.
One charge did go away. Throughout 2025, FPL bills carried a temporary storm restoration charge for Hurricanes Debby, Helene and Milton, about $12.02 a month on a 1,000 kWh bill, which ran from January 1 through December 31, 2025. In July 2026, regulators approved refunding about $80 million that FPL over-collected, as a one-month reduction in base rates.
How to find what's driving your bill
- Compare kWh, not dollars. Find the kWh used on your bill and compare it with the same month last year. If kWh went up, it's usage. If kWh is flat and the bill rose, it's rates or billing days.
- Check the billing days. Divide the kWh by the number of days to get a daily average. That strips out the effect of a long billing period.
- Look at your use by day and hour. FPL's smart meters record your usage, and your online FPL account shows it by month, day and hour. FPL's free Energy Manager tool, also in your account, helps you analyze it. A spike on specific days points to weather or one appliance.
- Check for Budget Billing. If you're on it, look for the deferred balance on your bill.
Still stuck? The Florida rules on estimated readings, meter tests and billing periods are in our guide to high electric bills in Florida.
What brings an FPL bill down
- Thermostat. FPL suggests 78 degrees when you're home in summer and 82 when you're away, and says each degree you raise it between 75 and 78 can save 3 to 5 percent on monthly cooling costs. In winter it suggests 68 degrees or lower.
- The AC itself. A clogged filter or a unit that's overdue for service runs longer to cool the same house.
- Pool pump. FPL suggests about six hours a day in summer and four in winter. Our pool homes guide covers what a pump adds to a bill.
- Winter heat. With a heat pump, avoid big jumps on the thermostat on cold mornings, which can bring on the backup heat strips.
- Budget Billing. It smooths the bill across the year, but it doesn't lower what you pay over twelve months.
When solar makes sense for a high FPL bill
If your bill is high every month because of how much you use, not because of a one-off, solar is worth a look. The first kWh a solar system displaces are the priciest ones on your bill, those past 1,000 a month at about 14.3 cents. Power your panels send to the grid comes back as a kWh-for-kWh credit against what you use over the year, though FPL's $30 minimum base bill means the bill won't reach zero.
Our FPL solar guide covers sizing, the net metering rules and what savings look like at different bill sizes. To see a number for your own bill, the calculator below starts with FPL already selected.
Your estimate in three steps
- Enter your billYour ZIP code, your utility and last month's bill.
- See your estimateA yearly savings range based on your utility's rates and Florida sun.
- Choose what's nextAsk for a quote call if you want real pricing, or just keep the number.
See what solar could save you
It takes about a minute. You don't need a site visit, a commitment or a sales call to see your number.
Common questions
Why is my FPL bill so high this month?
The usual causes are hotter weather running your AC harder, more days in the billing period, and using more than 1,000 kWh, past which FPL charges about 2 cents more per kWh. Compare the kWh and the number of days on this bill with the same month last year to see which one changed.
Why did my FPL bill double?
A doubled bill almost always means your usage roughly doubled, often from a heat wave or a cold snap that switched on backup heat strips. Because every kWh past 1,000 costs more, going from 1,000 to 2,000 kWh takes a bill from about $133 to about $276 before taxes and fees. Leaving Budget Billing can also add a deferred balance to one bill.
Is FPL raising rates?
Yes, gradually. Under the four-year plan regulators approved in November 2025, FPL expects a typical 1,000 kWh home bill of $136.64 for 2026, rising to $143.05 (2027), $146.24 (2028) and $148.15 (2029). The approval is under appeal at the Florida Supreme Court, which could change the later years.
Why is my first FPL bill so high?
A first bill can include a one-time service charge, $8 to open an account at an existing home or $12 at a newly built one, and FPL may also require a deposit when you open an account. The first bill also covers however many days you had service, and a different home can simply use more power than your last one.
Why did my FPL Budget Billing amount go up?
Budget Billing is a rolling 12-month average of your usage, so a hot summer pushes the average up. FPL also tracks the difference between your actual charges and the budget amount as a deferred balance and applies it gradually to future bills.
What does FPL recommend setting the thermostat to?
FPL suggests 78 degrees when you're home in summer and 82 when you're away, and says each degree you raise it between 75 and 78 can save 3 to 5 percent on monthly cooling costs. In winter it suggests 68 degrees or lower.
Did the FPL hurricane charge end?
Yes. The temporary storm restoration charge for Hurricanes Debby, Helene and Milton, about $12.02 a month on a 1,000 kWh bill, ran from January 1 through December 31, 2025. In July 2026 regulators approved refunding about $80 million FPL over-collected, as a one-month reduction in base rates.
Why is my FPL bill negative?
A negative amount means your account has a credit, for example from an overpayment or a refund. If you have solar, FPL banks your extra solar power as kWh rather than dollars until the December bill, when any leftover is credited at a much lower rate.
Will solar lower my FPL bill?
If your bill is high because of how much you use, it usually can. Solar power you send to FPL's grid earns a kWh-for-kWh credit against your usage over the year, and the first kWh solar replaces are your priciest ones, above 1,000 a month. FPL's $30 minimum base bill still applies. Our FPL solar guide covers sizing and savings.
Related guides
- Does FPL pay for solar? Net metering and savings
- How much solar for a $300 to $700 Florida electric bill?
- Solar for pool homes in Florida
- Florida net metering explained
- Already have solar? Why your bill is still high
- Is solar worth it in Florida in 2026?
This page is general information about FPL's standard residential rate in its main service area. Your own bill, rate and local fees may differ. Sources: FPL Residential Rates and Clauses, January 2026 (PDF) · FPL energy saving tips · FPL Budget Billing · FPL service charges · FPL Energy Manager · FPL fact sheet on higher bills (2022) · EIA Residential Energy Consumption Survey 2020, electricity end uses by state · FPL rate agreement announcement, November 20, 2025 · Renewable Energy World on the 2025 storm charge · CBS Miami on the July 2026 refund. Reviewed September 2026.
Next guideDoes FPL pay for solar? Net metering and savings →