If you live in the Tampa area, chances are you have felt the impact of rising electricity costs.

I am a Tampa resident and a TECO customer, and I started this petition because I believe we have reached a point where we need to stop simply accepting higher electric bills and start asking whether the system is working fairly for the people who depend on it.

TECO is the regulated electric provider for much of the Tampa area. For most customers, there is no competing electric company we can simply switch to when rates become unaffordable. Electricity is not optional. We need it to keep our homes safe, our food refrigerated, our air conditioning running, and our families healthy.

Yet customers continue to face rising costs.

I personally experienced a dramatic increase in my electric bill, and when I tried to understand why, I found myself frustrated by the answers I received. I have also experienced an additional deposit requirement and the loss of Budget Billing despite maintaining continuous service and never having my electricity disconnected for nonpayment.

Yet I know this is bigger than my own bill.

Think about the Tampa family trying to make ends meet. The senior living on a fixed income. The single parent already choosing between groceries, healthcare, rent, and other necessities. When the electric bill keeps climbing, there isn't always another expense that can simply be eliminated.

We cannot choose whether we need electricity. And when there is no meaningful alternative provider, customers deserve meaningful protections.

That is why I have started reaching out to our elected officials. I am asking them to look beyond individual customer complaints and examine the larger issue: Are Florida's current utility regulations providing enough protection for consumers when rates and related costs continue to rise?

What I am asking for:
I am calling on Florida lawmakers and regulators to examine TECO's current rate structure and consumer practices and consider reforms that would:

• Require greater transparency and justification for substantial rate increases.
• Strengthen protections for established customers facing additional deposit requirements.
• Explore reasonable limits or additional review when utility rates increase significantly.
• Require clearer consumer protections surrounding Budget Billing and other payment programs.
• Increase accountability and oversight of regulated electric monopolies.
• Ensure that affordability and the impact on Florida households are given meaningful consideration when utility decisions are made.

This petition is not about asking for free electricity.It is about asking for fairness, transparency, accountability, and a voice for the people who have no choice but to purchase an essential service.

I am one person, but I believe one person can start a conversation.

That is what I am doing.

If you are a TECO customer who has watched your electric bill climb, if you are worried about what another rate increase will mean for your household, or if you simply believe consumers deserve a stronger voice, please sign this petition.

Your signature tells our elected officials that this is not just one person's complaint. It is an issue that Tampa residents and Florida consumers want addressed.

Please sign and share this petition.

The more voices we have, the harder it is for this issue to be ignored.

Let's start the conversation. Let's ask for change.