Understanding the Minimum Bill

What it is and how it helps ensure a reliable electrical grid for all.

Duke Energy Florida (DEF) will continue charging a minimum usage fee of $30 per month. However, in 2025, 2026 and 2027, DEF will provide eligible income-qualified customers with a minimum bill modification.

* If an income-qualified customer who is not also a net metering customer contacts DEF and indicates receipt of a bill increased by the minimum bill, DEF shall manually provide a credit on a future bill.

* DEF will keep record of customers meeting the eligibility requirements and make best efforts to ensure each affected account is checked monthly and if it receives a minimum bill adjustment to proactively provide a credit on a future bill.

* Income-qualified customers must provide support for participation in one of the following: Supplemental Security (SSI), Medicaid, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), SNAP-EBT, Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), and Duke Energy Neighborhood Energy Saver

Customers who believe they may qualify should revisit this webpage on January 1, 2025 for more information.

The minimum bill is essentially a minimum usage charge of $30 per month that spreads the cost of maintaining the electric system across all customers who depend on a reliable grid – meaning all the equipment that’s necessary to move energy to and from homes and businesses.

Duke Energy is working to provide the best possible value for all customers while keeping costs affordable. Safe, reliable, clean energy at a fair price is important to everyone - and the overall costs for meters, transformers, and distribution lines should be shared by all customers; thus, it is appropriate for each user to support the specific costs of service for their meters and individual grid connections.

Ninety-five percent of Florida accounts will not be affected by a minimum bill adjustment, as their combination of energy usage and fixed customer charges reach the amount needed to cover costs for maintaining the electric system. Because each property requires the same level of service to have complete access to the grid, approximately 5% could see monthly adjustments of up to $17.55 to reach the minimum amount to cover the overall costs for maintaining and modernizing the infrastructure for customers who depend on a reliable grid every day.

Frequently Asked Questions

The fixed Customer Charge of $12.45 isn't sufficient to meet the minimum threshold to safely and reliably serve all of our customers. The costs to adequately operate and maintain the grid are recovered from customers through a combination of fixed (i.e. the Customer Charge) and volumetric charges. When a property has consistently low energy use, the Customer Charge alone isn’t sufficient to cover the basic fixed costs to operate and maintain the grid.
The minimum bill does not target any customer segments. All properties on a non-demand billed rate are subject to the minimum, as each of those properties has equal reliance on the energy grid. Although renewable generation customers are producing energy, they remain dependent upon the grid to receive and distribute the excess solar energy they produce and get credited for or to draw electricity when solar panels are not producing enough energy to meet their needs.
Customers that spend summers away from Florida often elect to keep power on during the months when the property is vacant. Some, depending on total usage during those time periods, could see adjustments to reach the minimum bill. Those who elect to disconnect service won't be affected by the minimum bill and will see a reduction in the cost to reconnect service from years prior, dropping from $28 to $12.

Understanding the Minimum Bill

Frequently Asked Questions

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Why is the minimum bill $30?

Why isn’t the $12.45 Customer Charge enough?

Is the minimum bill concept unique to Duke Energy?

What is the maximum adjustment I will see?

Is the minimum bill meant to discourage customers from having rooftop solar?

Are homes with solar generation required by state law to be connected to the electric grid?

Is excess solar generation produced by net metered customers sold to other customers at a profit?

Can I combine separately metered facilities into one to avoid the minimum bill adjustment?

Are customers with second homes impacted by the minimum bill?