JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The JEA Board of Directors will meet on Tuesday morning to vote on a proposed increase to electric, water and wastewater rates.
In October 2024, JEA proposed electric, water, sewer and irrigation rate adjustments for JEA Board approval. If approved, customers could see an average bill increase of about 3.7% starting in April.
“The proposed adjustments will better align our revenue requirements with what it costs to serve customers and will continue to keep our rates among the lowest in Florida,” JEA said in a statement back in February.
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According to JEA, if approved, the rate hikes will help maintain infrastructure and build new facilities. They will also help with the compliance of regulatory requirements such as reducing carbon emissions and water pollution.
In addition, JEA has previously said the proposed rate hikes are “predominantly attributed to obligations to Plant Vogtle,” a nuclear power plant in Georgia that provides clean energy to JEA customers.
JEA said the proposed increase is below inflation, and that the rates will remain amongst the lowest in Florida even with the approval of the rate adjustments.
Even so, many customers are unhappy with the idea of paying more.
“I’m in a one-bedroom and my bill this month was $220 I don’t even use that much electric,” Felicia Balance said, a JEA customer. “Especially when we have, like, other bills to pay, that’s a lot of money. I mean, I already feel like I pay a lot now.”
Gene Grier shares a similar opinion. He said it’s a shame there’s nothing you can do about the possible price increases.
“4% here. The grocery store charges 5%, 6% the gas station charges. 8%, 9%, everywhere you go, people got something to say about your money and everybody wants it. And how are you gonna make ends meet? It’s hard now.”
JEA public information office Myers Vazquez explains that the rate adjustments are based on consumption. So, some customers in single households, like Balance, won’t even see a price increase.
“It all depends based on consumption and meter size. There are some customers who will have their rate classification change from multifamily to single, individual customers, and so those customers will see a slight decrease based on consumption,” Vasquez said.
Electric rate recommendations
An electric bill is based on the number of kilowatt-hours (kwh) that are used each month.
Under the proposed changes, the rate adjusted for a 1,000kwh bill would be approximately 3.6% higher. According to JEA, 59% of customer bills are at 1,000 kWh or less monthly.
In 2026, the rate would increase by 5.4%, equivalent to a $7 increase.
Waste & sewer rate recommendations
JEA is proposing a 6% rate revenue adjustment for water and sewer for FY-2025 and a 4.2% rate revenue adjustment for FY-2026.
For a 3/4″ meter size, there would be an increase of $0.46 for sewer for FY-2025 and a $1.76 increase for FY-2026. According to JEA, 60% of residential sewer customers use this meter size.
Residential water rates would increase by $1.23 for a 3/4″ meter for FY-2025 and $0.56 for FY-2026.
Click here to read the full document with JEA’s electric, water and sewer rate recommendations.
When asked how JEA is responding to customer dissatisfaction with proposed rate adjustments, Vasquez emphasized that the rates will remain amongst the lowest in Florida.
“We completely understand that it’s going to hit some people in the pocketbooks. So, we are offering tips on how to consume,” Vasquez said. “If your bill, is only going to go up a few bucks, there’s some tips on how we can help you capture that cost back. There’s programs we have available for those who are going to be hit the hardest, who may have some monetary issues where they can’t afford the bill.”
Vasquez is referring to JEA’s free efficiency and irrigation assessments, free water conservation kits, and efficiency rebates. The utility company also offers payment solutions to help manage utility expenses, and financial assistance programs for those who may be struggling to make ends meet.
For more information, visit www.jea.com/waytosave.
If approved, the rate increases will be incremental, starting in April and adjusting again in October.
Tuesday’s board meeting is set to begin at 9 a.m.