ORLANDO, Fla. — Plenty of Duke customers are seeing bills they typically are not used to seeing this time of year — although it is normal for summer months to be most costly because the air-conditioning running constantly.

What You Need To Know

  •  New Duke Energy rates went in to effect in April; some customers are seeing higher bill this summer

  •  1.9 million customers across the state have Duke Energy

  •  An air-conditioning unit typically equates to 30-35% of your energy bill

Duke Energy’s new rates took effect in April, but with the heat wave across the state for the months of May and June, customers have seen significant increases from this time a year ago.

According to Duke Energy, an air conditioning unit is about 30-35% of the culprit on your monthly bill. Some Duke customers admit they knew about a rate increase, but they are a bit in sticker shock over the additional costs.

Outside Shannon Kaufmann’s home, neighbors are gathering and showing each other electric bills.

“You’d think something is wrong with the meters,” one neighbor said.

But, there’s not. Electric bills are up.

Kaufmann is one of the nearly two million Duke Energy customers across the state seeing a rate increase that began in April.

“Oh, I was like, that is crazy,” Kaufmann said while holding her bill for the month of June. “That is like two car payments in just one month and that’s for the power and we barely use anything.”

Kaufmann, who works from home in an 1,800-square-foot home with a pool, is spending about $12 a day on energy. 

Duke Energy said part of the increases are due to rising fuel costs and storm restoration work from Hurricanes Ian and Nicole. The company incurred costs to get everything and everyone back up and running. 

“These are actually from under recovery of fuel costs from 2021 and 2022,” Duke Energy spokesperson Audrey Stasko said. “Basically, the company had to pay for those costs up front and now we are trying to recover the cost.”

On average, for every 1000 kilowatt hours Duke customers use, that will equate to an extra $25 a month.

Like most things everywhere, they are now costing more.

“The last few years we have all been hit hard by inflation,” Stasko said. “The utility industry is not immune to that.”

Neither are Kaufmann and her neighbors, who from last June to this June have seen about an 18% increase in their bills by using about the same or less energy.

For Kaufmann, the bill is a topic that has been draining mentally and financially. She said she has considered moving out of an area serviced by Duke simply because her electric bill is her second highest bill after rent.

After the air conditioner, the most likely culprit of seeing increases in your energy bill is your pool pump. A pool adds, on average, about $300 a year to your bill. Also, aside from the AC, don’t forget to keep sunlight out of your home by closing blinds during the day to keep the temperature in the house cooler.