Customer Communications

We communicate to our customers annually and as needed about changes to rates and charges. Please click on the links below for important information about your electric bill, including changes to fuel charges and electric base rates.

January 2020: Information about your 2020 rates
Residential and Small Commercial
Commercial and Industrial
Lighting

March 2019: Information about your 2019 rates
Residential and Small Commercial
Commercial and Industrial
Lighting

December 2018: Information about your 2019 rates
Residential and Small Commercial
Commercial and Industrial
Lighting

About base rates

In Florida, an electric utility's base rates cover all costs, excluding fuel, necessary to establish and operate its system, including for power plants and transmission and distribution infrastructure. Base rates are adjusted periodically to accurately reflect current operating costs.

For residential and small commercial customers, base rates are included with conservation, environmental and capacity cost recovery charges to make up the Energy Charge, which is displayed as a line item on your electric bill. Base rates make up the Energy Charge for large commercial and industrial customers and all other charges are listed separately on their bills.

About fuel charges

Our fuel mix is predominantly comprised of coal and natural gas. The cost of fuel is a substantial portion of an electric bill, currently about 33 percent for residential customers. An adjustment approved by the Florida Public Service Commission to reflect the prices of fuel and other factors occurs annually.

Fuel costs are passed through from fuel suppliers to our customers with no markup or profit to Tampa Electric. Although the company cannot control the price of fuel, we maximize the use of existing low-cost, well-performing plants and power purchased from other companies to mitigate costs and pass the savings to our customers.

Learn more about the components of your electric bill.