Floridians are being crushed by electric bills — and it’s getting worse every year. From hurricane surcharges to rising fuel costs to base rate hikes, the price of keeping the lights on has spiraled out of control.

Some residents are getting bills over $800 a month. Seniors on fixed incomes are turning off hot water heaters and living without air conditioning. Renters in older homes are paying as much for electricity as people in luxury condos. It doesn’t matter where you live or how much you try to conserve — the costs keep rising.

This isn’t sustainable. And it isn’t fair.

We are calling on the Florida Public Service Commission (FPSC) to freeze all future electric rate increases until affordability is restored. That includes base rate hikes, storm surcharges, and fuel pass-throughs. The state needs to address this affordability crisis. In the meantime, the cost shouldn't be passed on to the public.

The FPSC was created to protect the public interest. That includes making sure utility costs don’t push people into poverty. Right now, too many Floridians are being forced to choose between paying for electricity or covering basic needs like food, medicine, and rent.

It’s time for regulators to step in and say: enough.

We know hurricanes are a reality. We know utilities need to maintain infrastructure. But those costs shouldn’t be dumped entirely on working people — not without limits, and not without stronger protections in place.

If rates keep rising unchecked, tens of thousands more Floridians will fall into utility debt or risk shut-offs. Our state cannot afford that outcome.

This isn’t a partisan issue — it’s a human one.

We urge the FPSC to act now: freeze all electric rate increases until bills become affordable again. No more hikes. No more surcharges. No more passing the burden down the line.

Photo: JEFFEREE WOO / Tampa Bay Times