FMEA COVID-19 Resource Center

Alachua

• City of Alachua electric customers will not be billed a bulk power cost adjustment charge for billings in May and June 2020, resulting in an 11 percent savings on customer bills.

Bartow

• COVID-19 Updates
• Utility disconnects for non-payment are suspended through April 30, 2020.

Blountstown

• Service disconnects and late fees have been suspended through April.

Bushnell

• Temporary Suspension of Penalties and Disconnects for Non Payment
• The City has voluntarily implemented a suspension on late penalties and service disconnections for non-payment, effective immediately. This suspension will apply to both residential and commercial customers.
• The City of Bushnell will reduce the Power Cost Adjustment (PCA) for bills going out in May and June, cutting the PCA nearly in half from its current level of $19 per 1,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) for residential customers to $10 per 1,000 kWh. The total electric bill will decrease by nearly 8% for an average residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt hours. Commercial customers will also benefit from the reduction.

Chattahoochee

• COVID-19 Updates

Clewiston

• To help our customers cope with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the City of Clewiston will reduce the Bulk Power Cost Adjustment (BPCA) for bills going out in May, cutting the BPCA by one-third. Customers experiencing financial hardships as a result of the COVID-19 should contact our office before their bill becomes due and we will work with you. However, we encourage you to stay current with your payments as much as possible.

Fort Meade

• COVID-19 Updates
• Utility Late fees and service disconnects have been suspended.
• Customers will benefit from a five percent reduction in their April bills due to a Power Cost Adjustment (PCA) reduction.

Fort Pierce (Fort Pierce Utilities Authority - FPUA)

• COVID-19 Updates
• On April 21, 2020, the FPUA Board approved a $2 reduction in the Power Cost Adjustment (PCA) beginning in May and continuing until further notice. This PCA reduction is far-reaching and provides continuous relief over a period of months versus a one-time reduction.
• All penalty and late fees will be waived during the COVID-19 pandemic until further notice.
• FPUA Sponsorship Assists Customers Affected by COVID-19 Crisis
• Fort Pierce Utilities Authority has established the Project Care COVID-19 Relief Fund with a sponsorship in the amount of $100,000, to assist customers most affected by the COVID-19 Crisis with payment of their utility bill. FPUA is partnering with Mustard Seed Ministries and ALPI (The Agricultural and Labor Program, Inc.) to manage and administer funds based on specific eligibility criteria.
• FPUA Offers Plan to Assist Commercial Customers Affected by COVID-19 Crisis

Gainesville (Gainesville Regional Utilities - GRU)

• COVID-19 Updates
• GRU lowered all customer fuel charges in February and again in April. Without a clear picture how long COVID-19 may impact our customers, we extended those reductions through September and anticipate these actions will save customers 17 percent on fuel charges over the next six months.
• GRU has suspended late fees for all customers through at least May 15 with the understanding that many are unable to pay on time due to loss of income related to shutdowns resulting from COVID-19.

Green Cove Springs

• The City of Green Cove Springs has suspended utility disconnections on past-due accounts until April 30, 2020.
• The City of Green Cove Springs is removing the Bulk Power Cost Adjustment (BPCA) amounts from the electric utility portion of each customer’s consumption for March. This reduction will be reflected in April’s utility bill.Additionally, the City is implementing a short-term utility bill assistance program through the Electric Conservation Fund to assist utility customers experiencing difficulty paying their electric utility bills due to circumstances directly related to COVID-19.
• Green Cove Springs Adds Electric Utility Bill Relief Options for Customers During COVID-19 Pandemic

Homestead

• COVID-19 Updates
• The City of Homestead has temporarily suspended service disconnections until further notice.
• Customers will benefit from a 27 percent reduction in their May bills due to a Power Cost Adjustment (PCA) reduction.

Jacksonville (JEA)

• COVID-19 Updates
• Until further notice, JEA will not disconnect utility services — water or electric — due to late payments.
• Customer Credits
  As announced at the Special Board Meeting held on April 3, JEA will issue a one-time rebate for all residential and commercial electric customers, which will arrive in the form of a credit on the May bill.
• Late Fees Waived
  Effective March 31, any newly accrued late fees will be waived until further notice. Any late fees accrued prior to March 31, 2020 will still apply.
• Convenience Fees Waived
  Beginning April 6, JEA will waive credit and debit card convenience fees for MasterCard, Visa and Discover card payments up to $10,000 for the next six months.

Jacksonville Beach (Beaches Energy Services)

• COVID-19 Updates
• We understand that many customers may be facing unexpected financial hardship. To help, we have suspended all disconnections for nonpayment & will waive late fees for both homes and businesses for the time being. We encourage you to stay as current as you can with your payments.
• Beaches Energy Services customers will not be billed a bulk power cost adjustment fee for the months of April and May, 2020. For a residential customer who uses 1,000 kWh on average in the month, this represents a 21% reduction in their monthly electric bills.

Keys Energy Services

• KEYS has temporarily suspended all service disconnections for nonpayment. Normal disconnection practices will resume within a reasonable time after the resumption of normal operations.
• The approved customer rate relief will result in a 10-percent decrease to all energy bills in May and June, with Board direction to reevaluate in June if additional relief is needed for July.
• Keys Implements Energy Bill Rate Relief In Response To Covid-19
• Approved by the Keys Energy Services Utility Board on May 14, the Residential Customer Assistance Program grants $100,000 to Florida Keys Outreach Coalition to assist KEYS customers with electric bills. Eligible KEYS customers may receive $200 per month, up to $700 by the end of the year.
• KEYS has established a COVID-19 Deferred Payment Program to allow residential and small commercial customers to interest-free past due amounts for 12 months.

Kissimmee (Kissimmee Utility Authority - KUA)

• COVID-19 Updates
• KUA has temporarily suspended service disconnections until further notice and will reevaluate the policy and time-frame as the situation develops. https://kua.com/news/kua-halts-disconnections-during-coronavirus/
• KUA Expands Assistance Programs to Support Customers During Coronavirus Pandemic
• KUA to Lower Customer Bills Through August in Response to COVID-19 Pandemic
• Kissimmee Utility Authority announced it will utilize up to $8 million to offset fuel expenses for its residential and commercial customers, beginning May 1. As an example, the utility said residential customers who use 1,000 kilowatt hours of electricity a month could see their May bills drop by up to $16 or 15 percent. Similar savings could continue monthly through August.

Lakeland (Lakeland Electric)

• COVID-19 Updates
• As your public power company, we are here to support you during this challenging and uncertain time. Effective immediately, we have temporarily suspended service disconnects for non-payment until further notice.
• Lakeland Electric Issues an Emergency Fuel Rate Adjustment
• Lakeland Electric will lower the electric fuel charge for Lakeland Electric customers for May and June.
• Lakeland Electric Offers Coronavirus Payment Plan

Lake Worth Beach

• COVID-19 Updates
• The City of Lake Worth Beach is suspending utility disconnections through April 30

Leesburg

• COVID-19 Updates
• The City will suspend utility cut-offs and late fees until further notice. This applies to all residential and commercial accounts.
• Leesburg Electric will reduce its Power Cost Adjustment (PCA) to $0.00 per kWh effective May 1, 2020. The PCA will remain at $0.00 kWh for the months of May and June, providing an approximate 9% reduction in monthly electric costs for the typical residential customer.  The utility will review fuel savings in late June to determine whether the reduction can continue.
• Leesburg Electric provides rate relief to all utility customers

Mount Dora

• COVID-19 Updates
• The City of Mount Dora has suspended disconnections due to non-payment until further notice.
• The City of Mount Dora is reducing its power cost adjustment (PCA) on customers’ bills by about 10 percent starting in April and running for six months.

Newberry

• COVID-19 Updates
• Utility cutoffs for all essential utility services to include water, sewer and electricity will be postponed. However, the city encourages regular payment for customers to stay current with their account when normal operations continue.
• The Newberry City Commission approved a reduction to the power cost adjustment (PCA) rate that electric customers will see as a credit on their monthly utility bill in May. This is the second consecutive month that the City has issued a credit to customers. Since March, the City has reduced bills for its residents and businesses by over $75,000. For residential, commercial and industrial customers, this will reduce their overall rate by approximately 13 percent per month.
• Newberry Electric Continues to Provide Rate Relief to Customers

New Smyrna Beach
(Utilities Commission of New Smyrna Beach - UCNSB)

• COVID-19 Updates
• UCNSB is suspending disconnects for non-payment and waiving late fees through June 1.
• Every UCNSB electric customer will see a reduced bill for May and June as the utility suspends the Fuel Adjustment Fee, passing on the savings the utility will receive from our bulk electric power purchases. (The average residential electric customer with 1000kWh usage/month, could see about a 22% reduction.)

Ocala (Ocala Electric Utility)

• Effective Friday, May 1, the power cost adjustment (PCA) rate of $0.014 per kilowatt hour (kWh) will be lowered to $0.00 per kilowatt hour (kWh). For a residential customer, this will reduce their overall rate by approximately 12 percent per month for the months of May and June.
• Disconnection of services are suspended through June 15, 2020.
• City Council Approves Electric Power Cost Reduction

Orlando (Orlando Utilities Commission - OUC)

• COVID-19 Updates
• OUC has suspended disconnections due to non-payment until further notice
• Update on OUC’S COVID-19 Response (March 26)
• OUC to Contribute $12.1 Million to Help Community Through COVID-19 Crisis (April 9)
• OUC Board Approves $12.1 Million to Help Community Through COVID-19 Crisis (April 14)

Quincy

• Utility cutoffs for non-payment will be postponed. However, the city encourages regular payment for customers to stay current with their account.

St. Cloud (Operated by OUC)

• COVID-19 Updates
• OUC has suspended disconnections due to non-payment until further notice
• Update on OUC’S COVID-19 Response (March 26)
• OUC to Contribute $12.1 Million to Help Community Through COVID-19 Crisis (April 9)
• OUC Board Approves $12.1 Million to Help Community Through COVID-19 Crisis (April 14)

Starke

• The City of Starke discontinued shut-offs for non-payment of utilities during the duration of the emergency.
• Customers will benefit from a 15 percent reduction in their May and June bills due to removing the Power Cost Adjustment (PCA).

Tallahassee

• COVID-19 Updates
• The disconnection of utility services for non-payment including electric and water will halt for 60 days as of March 12.
• Utility Relief Program
• Tallahassee Utility Customers to See Savings (April 22, 2020)
• City of Tallahassee Electric Utility customers will see a 27 percent discount on their May bill, meaning the savings for each customer will vary based on their usage. On average, a typical household may see a reduction of $30, while a medium-sized business may see a reduction of $1,800. To provide customers with the discount now, the City is passing along projected fuel cost savings that the Electric Utility anticipates receiving in the coming months.

Winter Park

• COVID-19 Updates
• The City of Winter Park has suspended its disconnection for nonpayment policy until further notice.
• The city approved a temporary suspension of electric fuel costs on residential and commercial customer’s bills for two months. Fuel costs make up approximately 18% of residential customer’s bill and 22% of commercial customer’s bills.  This fuel rate holiday is a $750,000 savings to the city’s electric customers overall.
• City of Winter Park approves $1.9 million of funding for community support in response to COVID-19