TECO customers call for lawsuit in petition with more than 7,000 signatures as bills surge

Growing petition for TECO lawsuit

TECO customers said they're beyond frustrated with the sky-high rates. They said their power bills hit a breaking point, and now, a growing petition online is calling for a lawsuit against the utility company. FOX 13's Blake DeVine reports.

TAMPA, Fla. - TECO customers say their power bills have reached a breaking point. An online petition is calling for a lawsuit against the public utility, accusing it of price gouging.

What we know:

As of Monday night, more than 7,000 signatures have been collected. Many argue that electricity costs have risen faster than household incomes.

Caryn Russ recently moved back to Tampa and says the rising cost of electricity factored into where she chose to live.

"This is a high demand area right now," she said. "People want to live here and with demand comes higher costs."

Russ now lives near the Tampa Riverwalk, in an apartment. She previously owned a home in Tampa’s Beach Park neighborhood, where she says her electric bills kept climbing.

"We had a good-sized home, and it was a constant rate raise," Russ said. "In the summertime, we were paying between $500-$600 a month."

She said the rising bills ultimately forced her to rethink long-term plans.

"I’m one of the lucky ones; my house was paid off. I could afford to pay for it," Russ said. "I’ve chosen not to anymore. Not to deal with all the additional expenses and cost of living here."

By the numbers:

A recent analysis by Food & Water Watch found that the average Tampa Electric bill will soon 82% higher than it was five years ago. 

RELATED: Fourth TECO rate hike in 12 months finalized, set to take effect in January

That amounts to about $939 more per year.

What they're saying:

For longtime local Gabriel Flores, these rising TECO bills have already changed his daily habits.

"It would be nice if they went back to early rates instead of charging us for something that happened over a year ago," he said.

Flores added that these higher costs have forced him to be more cautious at home.

"I have to think twice about turning lights on sometimes," he said. "I have to decide between keeping the air on or not keeping the air on to try and save a few bucks."

The other side:

Tampa Electric is acknowledging that bills have been higher than usual. Cherie Jacobs, a spokeswoman for Tampa Electric, pointed to storm recovery costs from the historic 2024 hurricane season.

TECO energy crew.

Jacobs sent FOX 13 the following statement:

"This year, customers have seen bills that are higher than typical. The biggest driver was storm recovery costs from the historic 2024 hurricane season — one of the most destructive in a century.

To help ease the impact on customers, Tampa Electric worked with regulators to spread those recovery costs over 18 months (starting in March 2025).

When this temporary storm surcharge ends in September 2026, customers will see a meaningful decrease – about $20 per 1,000 kilowatt-hours of use, or $40 for customers who use 2,000 kWh per month."

What's next:

Starting in January, the average Tampa Electric customer will see their bill rise by another $5.51 per month.

It marks the fourth rate hike for TECO customers in the past year. 

Earlier increases in 2025 included a $9-13 monthly base rate hike in January, a $20-25 storm recovery charge in March, and a 10 percent rise in fuel costs in June.