Central Florida Power Rates Are Simply Put... Outrageous!! (Orlando, Spring Hill: new house, water heater)

[Jimrob1]

Originally Posted by annerk

I have excellent credit, and when I had the gas turned on in my current home they required a deposit. They don't care how good your credit is or if you have a letter of credit from another utility. It was maybe $100--no big deal, I paid it. After a year of timely payments they refunded it. I can't imagine getting that incensed over something so minor.

I got incensed as you call it because of what they put me thru. My deposit was a whole lot more than $100. I initially called them to ask their policy on having electricity put in my name. I was told since I lived in Arizona and was not in Florida. That I could get a letter of credit from my current electric company in Tucson, and have it faxed to Lakeland Electric. I did that. Then a week later I called to put the electric in my name. I was told they haven't accepted letter's of credit in at least 2 years. I explained I was just told the week before to get this letter and the explanation was. That the employee must have been new and gave me the wrong info.. No apology no nothing, just that I would now pay a deposit because I have good credit, and my deposit would be $385. Which later I was told had been computed wrong and should be $210. I think its understandable one would be skeptical, of doing business with them at this point. Yeah I was angry and I don't call it minor. I call it a real bad first impression. If they had just asked for the deposit in the first place, and gave me an explanation as to why they operate as they do. I most likely would not have become angry. But after having Electricity in 3 countries and 5 states in this country, I rarely have ever had to pay a deposit until Lakeland Electric. I never went thru any experience like this in my life concerning turning on electricity until now.

[annerk]

Originally Posted by Jimrob1

I got incensed as you call it because of what they put me thru. My deposit was a whole lot more than $100. I initially called them to ask their policy on having electricity put in my name. I was told since I lived in Arizona and was not in Florida. That I could get a letter of credit from my current electric company in Tucson, and have it faxed to Lakeland Electric. I did that. Then a week later I called to put the electric in my name. I was told they haven't accepted letter's of credit in at least 2 years. I explained I was just told the week before to get this letter and the explanation was. That the employee must have been new and gave me the wrong info.. No apology no nothing, just that I would now pay a deposit because I have good credit, and my deposit would be $385. Which later I was told had been computed wrong and should be $210. I think its understandable one would be skeptical, of doing business with them at this point. Yeah I was angry and I don't call it minor. I call it a real bad first impression. If they had just asked for the deposit in the first place, and gave me an explanation as to why they operate as they do. I most likely would not have become angry. But after having Electricity in 3 countries and 5 states in this country, I rarely have ever had to pay a deposit until Lakeland Electric. I never went thru any experience like this in my life concerning turning on electricity until now.

You've been lucky. It's not the end of the world. Take a deep breath and move on.

[theodoxa]

Originally Posted by Jimrob1

I got incensed as you call it because of what they put me thru. My deposit was a whole lot more than $100. I initially called them to ask their policy on having electricity put in my name. I was told since I lived in Arizona and was not in Florida. That I could get a letter of credit from my current electric company in Tucson, and have it faxed to Lakeland Electric. I did that. Then a week later I called to put the electric in my name. I was told they haven't accepted letter's of credit in at least 2 years. I explained I was just told the week before to get this letter and the explanation was. That the employee must have been new and gave me the wrong info.. No apology no nothing, just that I would now pay a deposit because I have good credit, and my deposit would be $385. Which later I was told had been computed wrong and should be $210. I think its understandable one would be skeptical, of doing business with them at this point. Yeah I was angry and I don't call it minor. I call it a real bad first impression. If they had just asked for the deposit in the first place, and gave me an explanation as to why they operate as they do. I most likely would not have become angry. But after having Electricity in 3 countries and 5 states in this country, I rarely have ever had to pay a deposit until Lakeland Electric. I never went thru any experience like this in my life concerning turning on electricity until now.

Duke (Progress) did the same thing to me when I moved to Central Florida in 2013. Gulf Power didn't charge a deposit when I was started service with them in 2001, but I did have to put up a deposit ($75) after I accidentally missed (was late) on a single payment, which I got back several months later. Duke didn't give my deposit back for slightly over 2 years and that deposit was 3 times what Gulf had charged.

That said, Duke's bills were also a lot higher than what I was paying with Gulf Power and that was despite more efficient lights and cooling.

Gulf Power (1 BR/1 BA, 750 SQ. FT): $50-75/month
Duke Energy (1 BR/1 BA, 850 SQ. FT): $100-150/month
Duke Energy (2 BR/2 BA, 1150 SQ. FT): $150-250/month

On another note, I wanted to see if anyone had actual comparisons between Duke and SECO. Everyone I've talked to says SECO is the cheapest in the area I'm moving to and is cheaper than Duke (who I had at my last 2 places), but on paper Duke's rates appear cheaper --

Customer Charge: SECO ($20), Duke ($8.76)
First 1000 kWH: SECO (11.06 cents), Duke (9.972 cents)
Remainder: SECO (13.06 cents), Duke (12.334 cents)

[EDIT] Not really sure I trust the numbers given that OUS (Ocala Utility Services) lists a rate of 8.431 cents (lower than SECO or Duke), but there are so many horror stories of folks in the city getting $400-600 electric bills for apartments or small homes. On a second look, it appears OUS has a fuel surcharge which changes regularly and is not published.

[seion]

I just moved to Orlando (Sanford/Lake Mary area) from Vermont and trying to set up service. FPL is telling me through their website that my deposit is $248. This seemed strange to me since I have never been an FPL customer so there's not way that they could calculate it from previous months, and their website cannot calculate a number so fast by the user inputting their social security number. I entered the address of the condo next to mine and it calculated $181. So it seems to me their request for deposit is based on the history of payment on the past two months regardless of who was paying it, which seems unfair to me if I am a brand new tenant with no previous history with FPL. Let me see what else I can dig up and what FPL has to say about this.

[Spring Hillian]

Originally Posted by seion

I just moved to Orlando (Sanford/Lake Mary area) from Vermont and trying to set up service. FPL is telling me through their website that my deposit is $248. This seemed strange to me since I have never been an FPL customer so there's not way that they could calculate it from previous months, and their website cannot calculate a number so fast by the user inputting their social security number. I entered the address of the condo next to mine and it calculated $181. So it seems to me their request for deposit is based on the history of payment on the past two months regardless of who was paying it, which seems unfair to me if I am a brand new tenant with no previous history with FPL. Let me see what else I can dig up and what FPL has to say about this.

Check out this info..........

https://www.fpl.com/support/faq-list...emdisplay.html

[seion]

Originally Posted by Spring Hillian

Check out this info..........

https://www.fpl.com/support/faq-list...emdisplay.html

Yep, saw that, thanks. Still leaves me uneasy with the deposit changing with location and the new tenant not having previous history with the utility. I'll give them a call tomorrow.

[seion]

Originally Posted by seion

Yep, saw that, thanks. Still leaves me uneasy with the deposit changing with location and the new tenant not having previous history with the utility. I'll give them a call tomorrow.

Update: got the deposit reduced to $175 if I used automated bill pay. Still don't like the idea, but that seems to be the deal around here.

[Spring Hillian]

Originally Posted by seion

Update: got the deposit reduced to $175 if I used automated bill pay. Still don't like the idea, but that seems to be the deal around here.

When I started service with the Orlando Utilities Commission a letter from my previous provider sufficed.

[RedneckRebel]

The reason I find a lot of people think electric here is more expensive than northern states, is because they move down here and still try to keep the AC at 74 degrees in July, like they did in NY, and then are shocked, SHOCKED to find it costs more money to keep a house cooler in a warmer climate!



Try allowing your body to adept to the tropical climate. You would be shocked how cheap it actually is here. My bill in the summer rarely goes above $150/mo, and $80/mo in the winter.

[chopchop0]

Originally Posted by RedneckRebel

My bill in the summer rarely goes above $150/mo, and $80/mo in the winter.

A meaningless anecdote without knowing the build and sf of your house. Vaulted ceilings and 3000 sf? Yeah right....