3 in 4 Florida voters say electric bills are too high, new statewide poll finds

Across Florida's political divides, one thing everybody agrees on is that electric bills are too high, according to a recent poll.

Here's what to know

In the statewide survey of 1,000 registered Florida voters, 75% said electricity costs are too high. Just 21% described rates as about right, and 1% said power is too cheap, according to the Miami Times.

The partisan breakdown was fairly consistent: 71% of Republicans, 76% of independents, and 79% of Democrats said electricity costs are too high.

Even among voters 65 and older, the age group least likely to say prices were too high, 61% still said they were paying too much. That share reached 86% among voters under 45, and women were more likely than men to call electricity too expensive, 80% to 70%.

When voters weighed Florida's future electricity needs, keeping customer costs low ranked highest at 78%. Reliability followed at 60%, while 33% selected clean or renewable energy and 9% chose energy independence.

More background

That frustration stands out in a state where power costs can shape everything from household budgets to decisions about community growth and utility planning.

Utilities face rate proceedings before state regulators. Those proceedings can influence what customers ultimately pay and how future energy investments are justified.

The poll suggests concerns over utility costs could very well follow residents into the voting booth. According to the Miami Times, 72% said they would be more likely to vote for a candidate into state office who supports utility regulators choosing lower-cost energy options before approving new power plants or rate increases. 

What's being done?

Asked how their own utility company should plan for future needs, 76% of respondents said keeping costs low should be the priority. That preference also held across partisan groups, with 76% of Democrats, 79% of Republicans, and 80% of independents choosing cost control.

Cost concerns were especially strong among younger voters, with 86% of those under 45 selecting affordability as a top state energy priority.

Dawn Shirreffs, Florida director of the Environmental Defense Fund, said Floridians "are not asking for a philosophical debate about energy," adding, "They are asking why their bill keeps going up, and they expect the people they elect to have an answer."

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