Babcock Ranch resident speaks out on FPL's solar fee impact

Florida homeowners are feeling the strain of rising power bills, particularly those who have invested in solar energy to cut costs. A mandatory minimum fee from Florida Power and Light impacts those trying to save money.

Peggy Rose, a resident of Babcock Ranch, installed solar panels on her home to reduce her power bill.

“I’d say about $75 to $80 monthly with the solar panel,” said Rose.

Despite her solar savings, Rose still pays FPL a monthly fee of around $27 to stay connected to the power grid.

“I thought that was a rather excessive amount to charge to just store the power,” said Rose.

FPL refers to this as a “minimum base bill,” which applies to customers with little to no energy, such as those with solar or seasonal homes.

In a statement to WINK News, FPL said, “They must be prepared to serve every customer every hour of every day. That includes customers who sometimes use very little or no energy at all.”.

The minimum base bill is meant to prevent other customers from subsidizing the fixed costs associated with low-to-no-use customers.

FPL proposes increasing the minimum base bill from $25 to $30 for its upcoming four-year plan.

Even for those without solar panels, the trend of going green is growing in Florida, potentially reshaping how everyone pays for power.