Rising temperatures, rising prices
One thing top of mind for Central Florida voters, especially those on a fixed income, is the cost of their energy bills.
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the average monthly bill in Florida is more than $150 dollars per month.
Randall Croom, Associate Professor of Management at Stetson University, said compared to the rest of the country, Florida pays less for energy per kilowatt hours, but our bills are higher due to the heavier use.
“This begins to make sense when you recognize that up to 40% of your electric bill is attributable to your HVAC system -- your air conditioning (and) heating,” said Croom. “As temperatures have gotten hotter, people have used their air conditioning more, and the air conditioning has to work harder to be able to cool to temperature. And so as a result, that does influence costs quite a bit.”
Hotter Florida days, along with rate hikes, have contributed to an increase in costs that some Central Florida seniors on a fixed income are struggling to pay for.
Croom said that’s part of a larger conversation about energy inequality.
He spoke with a fellow Stetson professor who said his energy bill increased by more than 50% over the past year, mainly due to rate hikes.
“Now not everyone has seen that kind of increase, but that is a dramatic shift and change,” said Croom. “He said, ‘hey, I can pay this. This is okay.’ But for many people, that kind of change is untenable and unsustainable.”
For those struggling to pay their energy bill, Croom suggests checking out the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, a federally funded program to help with heating and cooling costs.
He also suggests calling organizations like 211 or visiting their website, for information on utility assistance.
“But if you are struggling to pay any utility bill, your first step should be contacting your utility company to find out about any of the programs that they may offer,” said Croom. “Some of them have budget billing, which helps people to have more predictable bills throughout the year.”
Florida Power and Light, along with Duke Energy, offer financial assistance through customer donations.
Finding Ways To Save
According to the U.S Department of Energy, you can save as much as 10% a year on heating and cooling by turning your thermostat back 7 to 10 degrees for 8 hours a day.
One easy way to achieve this is by using a smart thermostat.
“Make sure that you're not cooling your home as though people are in there during the day when no one is there,” said Croom.
Also, Energy Star suggests changing the air filter at least every 3 months.
Replacing a dirty filter can lower your air conditioner’s energy consumption by 5% to 15%, according to the Department of Energy.
“ I also want to mention, get a fan going,” said Croom. “Cross ventilation with fans can be really helpful and relieve some of the strain on your HVAC system.”
Outside of heating and cooling, Croom suggests unplugging what some call ‘energy vampires.’
“There are some electronics that take energy even when you are not using them,” he said.
There are also more expensive upgrades that can be done to make you home more energy efficient and lower you bill.
“You could invest in better insulation, making sure your doorways and windows are sealed so they're not leaking cool air,” said Croom.
Living in the sunshine state makes the option of solar a possible alternative, but it is a costly upgrade.
The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 increased the federal tax credit, allowing homeowners to deduct up to 30% of the installation costs on their taxes.
However, it’s still a heavy lift for some as the average price for a 5 kilowatt solar panel installation in Florida is around $11,000.
Energy Grid Reliability
As Florida continues to recover from Hurricanes Helene and Milton, Croom said it’s important to also address the reliability of our electric grid, as that will play a role in customer’s bills.
“Whenever there is a large-scale catastrophic event, for example, a hurricane or cyber attack where grids are vulnerable, (it) will increase the cost, perhaps, of maintaining the grid.” he said. “Making those systems resilient to some of these disasters is going to cost, but it could be beneficial in the long term. These energy companies will likely need to recoup the costs right from their rates.”
Croom said because of this, the solution to making energy affordable for everyone is complex.
“We will have to think about this systemically and systematically. If we are going to address these problems,” he said. “When we look at trends, these higher prices and issues with reliability and resilience are probably coming for everyone.”
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