Struggling with high electric bills? There's help

It's getting hot, and electric bills are on a sizzling rise as utility customers turn down the thermostat. To top it off, the state's utilities are looking to increase rates for fuel and other services.

If you're struggling to pay your electric bill, you maybe able to get help. The Florida Public Service Commission on Thursday highlighted some of the assistance programs. Times columnist Ivan Penn details more information on how to get help.

Read about rate increases sought by Tampa Electric and Peoples Gas.

Read about fuel rate increases sought by Progress Energy Florida.

Different utilities have different programs available. Read on for more information...

Customers can call the PSC at 800-342-3552 for information. The PSC detailed the programs that can help:

• The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is a federal, statewide program to provide home energy assistance. LIHEAP assists households that have incomes below 150% of the federal poverty level and need assistance to pay their power bills.
• Florida Power and Light’s program is called Care to Share.  The program provides emergency assistance funds to customers who are in a crisis situation and unable to pay their electric bill.  The funds are disbursed through local non-profit organizations.
• Progress Energy Florida provides assistance through the Energy Neighbor Fund. The monies collected are distributed to needy customers through local aid agencies.
• Tampa Electric Company offers a 62+ Plan. TECO’s program helps customers who are 62 years-of-age or older work out payment options.
• Gulf Power provides emergency assistance to customers who need help with energy bills, repairs to heating and air-conditioning equipment, and other energy-related needs.  The programs assist the elderly, the disabled, the sick, and others who are experiencing financial hardship.
• Florida Public Utilities Company will, on a case-by-case basis, offer extended payment options.  The company also refers customers to agencies that provide assistance.

-Asjylyn Loder, Times Staff Writer

[Photo: Bill Serne | Times]

Comments

[mike]

Here's some more help, turn the thermostat up! you can live at 83, I do!

[Isaac]

Wow Mike, you're quite the martyr.

[paul]

Mike has a point. I can't believe the people moaning about their $300+ power bills when they leave their AC set to 72 all day every day.

[Scott]

I live in a 1000sq ft house and my monthly power bill rarely goes over $100 a month. Why? A conservation mindset. I turn the A/C off when I leave for work. I turn lights off when I'm not int he room. i turn the computer off when I'm done. Charge my cell phone with a car charger. Don't leave the door open when i go to the mailbox...the list goes on. So many people waste and wonder.

[Danny]

I live in a 3 bedroom apartment. My last electric bill was only $104 and thats with the air set on 76. Turning your air off and then turning it back later will only make the air work harder because its hot in the house. So you should leave the temp set the same at all times. In the winter, my heat is rarely ever on. Even at night. Because of this, my bill is roughly 50 bucks a month. Good times. You wont die being too cold, but you could die if your home isnt cool enough. 83 is a bit too high Mike.

[E.G.G]

I agree with scott. When my sister lived in the house I own now, she paid $140.00+ a month in electricity. Since I've moved in, I replaced all my light bulbs with energy efficient bulbs, My A/C is never lower than 77-79, Always off if I'm not home. And now my bill is always under $100.00 ($94.00 has been my maximum). So anyone can do it if they put their minds to it.

[Tino]

Those in Tampa can get a time-of-day meter with electric prices that are 50% off of the standard rates. The peak rates are usually during the day when I'm not home anyway.

I have a 1600 sq ft home and I keep it at 72-75 when I'm at home. My bill hasn't broken $100 yet.

[Houston]

Danny,

It would take a long time to die from a temperature of 83. Who are you to suggest what the ideal environment might be for another person? Help me to understand how, when Mike leaves the air on for 10 - 12 hours a day he would save money? Increased wear on the motor or compressor? How does the air work "harder" with a briefly increased temperature differential versus running 24 hours a day? This sounds like misinformation.

[Houston]

Danny,

It would take a long time to die from a temperature of 83. Who are you to suggest what the ideal environment might be for another person? Help me to understand how, when Mike leaves the air on for 10 - 12 hours a day he would save money? Increased wear on the motor or compressor? How does the air work "harder" with a briefly increased temperature differential versus running 24 hours a day? If this were true the motor should run all the time rather than cycling. This sounds like misinformation.

[Jenni]

Houston and others,

Danny has a point. It has been proven through MANY studies. If you get a timed termostat you can keep your house at your desired temperature. Turning it on and of IS infact bad for it.

Secondly, all of you obviously do not have children or pets. In my case both my son and one of my cats have asthma. Not only that but I live on the second floor (top floor) in a condo. Let me tell you all that a)it gets WAY HOTTER than a mere 83 degrees when I turn my air off for a day and b) I have an older air system. I am a single mom and cannot afford to replace it. The system has a HUGE effect on any electricity bill.

[sfnk]

Whaa Whaa Whaa Its the choices in life that puts us where we are. If you can/t afford it , DO WITHOUT. Don't beg others to bail you out.

[Kim]

I live alone in a 2600 sq ft home I close off the vents to the room I do not use. I do not work so I am home most days a/c 78 degrees and I keep a fan on at night. My bill is never more than $115 during the summer. When my husband was alive it was $300 plus he worked for the power company he did not mind paying them.... I refuse too.

I want to know why the consumer is the only one footing the bill for Bush's crazy energy policies!

My trash bill is up, my power bill is going up, my lawn guy wants a "gas fee," of course the price at the pump is crazy. What's next? All of the businesses are passing their costs off to the consumer.

[Kimberly]

I lived and worked in Haiti for eight years. There was no a/c.

Since Haiti had enough fuel to run electricity for only a few hours a day, you filled your 5-gallon buckets with water when electricity was on so you'd have water when the electricity was off. That was in the major cities.

Outside major cities, there was no electricity at all. People or their donkeys carried water in buckets from community wells and springs.

When in or outside the city, stoves and refrigerators ran off propane tanks.

It's possible to live without a lot of things.

Your body aclimates to the heat and humidity. Drink sufficient water to prevent dehydration. Wear a wide-brimmed straw hat or carry an umbrella to keep the sun off your head. Dress in a single layer, no suits or pantyhose.

Take a cool bath or shower to cool down and wash off the sticky sweat just before going to bed so you can sleep easily. If you don't have a kerosene lamp, go to bed when the sun goes down.

There are a lot of other people in a lot of other countries near the equator that have this same situation.

Yes, I'm an American born in the USA. If I can do it, so can you.

[Kimberly]

I no longer need to spend gas mowing my yard.

Last summer, a semi-retired landscaper from the Florida Native Plant Society and I worked to turn my whole front yard into a giant bird and butterfly habitat.

Also, I had a well installed to get inexpensive water and micro-irrigation installed to conserve water. The well pump doesn't cost much electricity.

The yard used to be a huge 45' x 55' neighborhood kitty litter box with plenty of sand and dried grass.

Now, the grass is gone. It's covered with mulch, flowers, grasses, bushes, and trees. There are about 50 native plants and plenty of birds, butterflies, and friendly bugs enjoying my yard. And I'm enjoying watching them.

Conserving water, electricity, and gas can be very enjoyable.

[melody smotherman]

i live in a 500 square feet apartment and have a teco bill of 300.oo every mouth i cant afford it becase i only make 510.00 every 2 weeks and then i have rent, theres also faulty wiering in my apartment and the land lord hven;t fix it yet so every mouth i have to come out of my pocket, that leve me with no food cant wash my cloths and no money for the bus

[Kimberly]

Melody,

You didn't say what city and state you live in. That could give us a clue about giving you suggestions.

Go to www.211.org to put in your zip code and see if there are any non-profit organizations that can help you figure out a budget, what you can do to reduce your electricity, etc.

If you live in St. Petersburg, FL, check out the St. Petersburg Free Clinic (SPFC). Their address is in the phone book. The SPFC accepts donated bicycles and gives them to needy people for transportation.

Bicycling is how I got to work, shopping, and everything else while I was putting myself through college and surviving minimum wage.

I lived on minimum wage for 19 years and had to be 100% self-supporting. So, I could tell you all kinds of ways to survive.

I finally got a better job. But now, I've got to save for the future and want to have money to donate to non-profits. So, I have figured a way to cut my expenses down to $1,000.00 per month and use the rest of the money for investments and donating to help other people.

[Thelma]

I agree with most of the post here. Yes, we are spoiled pampered Americans. But I am 65 I no longer can ride a bike,for I can hardley walk, and I have Copd and a lot of breathing problems which is just a few of my health problems. My doctor told me I needed to keep inside with the AC at all times to say alive and out of the hospital. I have to live with one of my sons & family (thank god we get along great) but that makes for a family of 6. I have always heard turning your air on & off is worse then leaving it on all the time. The more people in the household & body heat the higher the bill. Our bill runs between $300. to $500. a month. We have a 4 bedroom older home. I never had to use AC until a few years ago when my breathing problems came on which were job related (No I have never smoked)I think the light bills are too high and they do not give you any breaks. But then they don't have too who else are you going to get electric from?? I plan on going to solar power within the near future. I have had Florida Power since 1960 & I can't even get a few extra days on my bill. Why, Yes, I was late a couple months paying my bill last year no cut offs. My daughter in law had open heart surgery twice last year and now can't work. She applied for SS disability but it takes for ever. I don't want to live in Haiti and couldn't get the money to go there anyway. I can remember my mother washing clothes by hand and then on an old ringer washer. My great grandmother got up at the crack of dawn and swept her dirt floor in her log cabin and made a new pattern on it. We were the generation who, excuse me, walked to school miles at that. When I was growing up I helped milk cows and canned veg and etc that we grew. Didn't have to worry about running a TV,computor,dishwasher,microwave,& etc on electric we didn't have any of them. It may go back to those days and if it does people seem to cope. But you know something I hope not. We have worked hard to get where we are today. And from an old grey haired women I am glad we are here. Life was harder then but it was harder to get to where we are today. I have earned the privilege and right to run my AC. Will I complain about the price YES it is to high. I also have a BIG deposit up doesn't matter that I have only been a customer of there's for almost 50 years now. Times have changed and Central Florida has changed and not all for the good.

[Peter]

Just keeping paying those ridiculous increases of 25 percent from PROGRESS ENERGY until you arE broke. Then apply for foods stamps, welfare, free medical and dental from the government. That will show them. All kidding aside electricity costs are the next crisis in Florida !!!

[Peter]

i FORGOT, also keep paying taxes so the government can give it away to banks, automakers, etc... you are on your own. The middle class is doomed.

[Carrie]

Thanks Melody. There are many of us that make a decent living, but there are some of us that are not so fortunate. In my case, I have a family member that is over the age of 60, is in bad health and is not able to keep a steady job for that reason. Being that this person is in and out of the hospital they have to find odd jobs when their health allows them to do so. That's where these programs help out. If you're not part of the problem then you're part of the solution. Let's stop criticizing because we are in a better place than those around us because there are plenty of elderly that deserve to at least have the basics in life, and lets not forget that godwilling someday you may be fortunate enough to make it to the ripe age of 80+. There are some people that earn well below 10,000 annually, and not by choice. I am 28 y/o and have a good paying job, and I am from St. Petersburg, FL.

[Kimberly]

Thelma,

You made really good statements about people with physical disabilities.

By keeping my AC turned up to 88 degrees just to keep the humidity down and running fans instead, it helps me save money so that I can donate to organizations that help the needy. I hope you are a beneficiary of those donations.

[ClaV]

first of all, my fiance is disabled with spinal cord damage since 2001. We were living with my duaghter and grandson to help each other out. When we moved into our old apartment, our bills were between 350.00$ and 400.00$ a month.I am 46 years old and Never had a bill half that much. Not even close to half that much! 70.00$ at our new apartment.) The air conditioner did not work properly and would never shut off. Not only that it was still very hot. My fiance had to start taking meds to keep him from throwing up, and that made him sleep alot. He slept for a whole year practically. The maintenance came and said the air worked fine. I called every couple of weeks, and they would clean the coils, (which made us all sick every time) and do all kinds of tricks, and treat us like we were crazy. I was wet, hot and sticky the whole time we lived there. Now, the bill was in my daughter's name. When we all moved, she had it transfered to my new apartment, becuase she needed to borrow some money, instead of me paying the deposit, and getting it on in our name. Now we find out the bill is 1066.00$ My daughter did not pay it. They came and turned it off yesterday, and will not turn it back on. My fiance tried to put it in his name but they would not let him. They said he had to pay her bill first. She called and told them she would be responsible for the bill, and to let us get the power changed to our name. They would not let us. So here we have an apartment with him and me on the lease, HER bill, and no electricity. No way to charge his chair. It is so hot in here, we are both sick again. He gets so depressed he cries and wants to kill himself. I was laid off from my job 2 weeks ago, so no money to pay it, and have NO idea how I will get this kind of money. I dont know what to do. No agency helps you with that kind of money. Plus it is in her name, and she wont pay it, so I dont even know if I CAN go to an agency. WHAT A MESS! Any suggestions?

[Lon]

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[Lon]

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