FMEA: GRU’s residential bills highest in the state for March, 45% higher than FPL
BY JENNIFER CABRERA
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Florida Municipal Electric Association has released its report on electric bills in Florida for March 2023, and Gainesville Regional Utilities (GRU) had the highest residential bills in the state.
According to the report, GRU not only has the highest residential rates for a municipal utility, it also has the highest rates of all utilities at the 1,000 kWh and 1,200 kWh levels.
The twelve-month average residential bill at the 1,000 kWh level for GRU was second only to Key West, while the City of Alachua and Williston were close to the bottom. The chart above for March shows that Key West is now lower than GRU.
At the 1,000 kWh residential level, GRU’s total bill in March was $182.63, while Key West was $180, Duke was $161.30, Newberry was $159.14, FPL was $126.26, Alachua was $117.54, and Williston was $106.62. GRU was 45% higher than FPL in March for residential users.
At the 60,000 kWh commercial level, GRU’s total bill in March was $12,390.30, while Key West was $12,608.50, Duke was $9,283.63, Newberry was $10,125.67, FPL was $7,928.38, and Alachua was $7,359.51; Williston does not have commercial rates listed. GRU was 56% higher than FPL in March for commercial users.
GRU decreased the fuel adjustment charge on April 1, reducing bills.
GRU’s rates are set by the Gainesville City Commission, and in 2021 they voted to raise electric rates by 7% for FY22, followed by 3% rate increases every fiscal year through FY27. If HB 1645 is approved by the Senate this week and signed by the governor, a governor-appointed board will assume control of rates on October 1, 2023.
Nice work Jennifer! This is but another reason the Clown Commission and it’s control of GRU needed to be reeled in.
I didn’t vote for the rising rates the commissioners felt was best for the community who supposedly “owns” it. Only an idiot would.
Don’t worry, the Hinsons, Poes, Wards & other naive knuckleheads will disagree and say they know what’s best for us.
All the PROOF anyone needs! Believe it! We are higher than even remote communities on islands/keys. Thank you Hanrahan, Poe, Ward; along with inexperienced commissioners with zero experience ever in a professional job but with plenty of radical silly ideas (Hayes-S. a wannabe a minority, Arreola, Hinson, etc. all failures in careers). No wonder all your good people were driven off, saw the writing and left, or were fired. Now it’s you turn to lose.
Surprise, Surprise! Not really, this is come to be expected every month! Home is 2770sqft, monthly bill $850!
Yeah, water and sewage aren’t cheap either, are they? For their high prices, I wonder what the politicians who know best are doing about replacing ancient infrastructure, you know the pipes and treatment plant stuff.
They aren’t replacing anything. The same 1950-era water system feeds my neighborhood. At 2 in the morning I have ‘fair’ water pressure…..
GLG, In a normal environment, it would sound like your meter has gone nuts using that much! One would think, claimed “Economics Professor” Poe (had no such degree – only history degree teaching HS kids in dual enrollment) would have known you can’t keep draining and increasing the same people through the same revenue source forever as they will eventually have to look for alternatives or replace the nuts at the controls. You’re done in Gainesville Poe! Even the college let him go. It might be time to move!
So glad the state has stepped in its time to stop these insane rates
Its comforting to know the citizens of Gainesville voted themselves a huge tax increase via their power bill starting with Pegeen onward. After seeing these numbers no wonder people live in Williston or Alachua and drive in everyday. Even at current gas prices it is cheaper than paying GRU rates.
One might even conclude the gentrification of Gainesville was the plan if the commission was capable of creating a plan.
The woke students, who pay nothing towards GRU, voted for these clowns and that’s why we have them. For the same reason, every college town is run by woke idiots (see also Austin, Texas, Madison, Wisconsin, etc.).
This is why we must not allow Harvey Woke and his ilk to continue to try and conflate “voters” with RATEPAYERS, the latter of course should have considerable say, the former NONE!!
The state needs a law that requires voter registration only in the place of official residence…..for the students, back home wherever that may be.
Only 1/3 of Gainesville’s residents have lived here for more than 5 years. This is not just the students, there is a $500,000 house beside mine in the Duck Pond that has changed owners 6 times in the last 25 years.
Need we say more? Jazz’s Regime Commissioners are simply thieves. Help us , Desantis. We cannot wait until October,
Speaking of Jazzy, is he on vacation or just getting jizzy with it? He’s usually 1st up to defend the use of GRU funds and rates by city leadership.
GRU sells electricity to the City of Alachua for less than $120 per 1,000 kWh, but they charge us “neighbors” over $180 for the same thing?
Yeah Peabody, I was wondering the same thing.
I believe the “extra” charges are the penalty fees, (ie, special assessments), for those who are bound to the city commission.
These fees, combined with the already high costs of energy, contribute to the rising homeless population and the mounting indebtedness of those least able to afford it.
Maybe that was a reason for the commissioners to double their salaries, (since rescinded); they’re having financial difficulties as well. Unfortunately, most of Gainesville isn’t able to vote themselves a pay raise at their leisure.
Don’t be surprised if the commissioners have another vote to increase their salaries within the very near future. They only cancelled their recent raise because they thought it would avert Clemons’ legislation. You’re an idiot if you think otherwise.
I think Alachua electric comes from Clay
The City of Alachua buys their electric from GRU. The fact that can charge so much less for the same service is another indicator of how bad Gainesville’s commissioners have run GRU.
I believe you are both right. I seem to recall a recent article where Alachua decided to get its electricity 50% from GRU and Clay.
It’s meant to generate more poverty now. Poverty increases public demand for gov’t programs, makes gov’t jobs (Dem voters) more secure, and NGO owners (campaign donors), and bottom feeders of mayhem (lawyers, etc), happier.
Yeah, they earned their reputation.
I live in a 2400 sq ft historic house built in 1939. My GRU bill was $272 last month, 722kWh electric & 3000 gallons of water. We sleep at 71degrees. Back before we got energy efficient we used 1500 to 2600kWh hours of electricity & 20,000 gallons of water if we used our sprinkler system for the same $250-$300 a month. Now I have to take pictures of my electric & water meter each month to keep GRU honest. When the state take GRU’s piggy bank away from the city commission our property taxes, especially commerical will be much higher.
Another reason to move out of Alachua county to a rural county that has FPL as the electric provider. Thermostat stays on 73 all summer, bill stays at $120 @ month.
But, if you enjoy outrageous power bills and a city commission that has kept them high then by all means keep voting blue & enjoy the A/C.
The only way to bring Leftist spending of the money of normal citizens is to outvote them. Sounds so old fashioned, and it is. Most people are not Leftists but they do not organize, forget to vote, are too busy elsewhere whereas Democrats vote in blocs. So Democrats control the power of the purse, spend the peoples’ money on their favorite causes rather than legitimate public services. Then, when they need more money, they cleverly disguise it, for example added line items within the originally useful Wild Spaces surtax.
The “fault” is not the Leftists. They are savvy. They organize a voting phalanx and get enough to win while the majority looks the other way.
One, It would be more appropriate to say, “Democrats control the teats,” seeing as how they want the public to be dependent on them rather than themselves.
Most of us have heard the parable, “Give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime.” That pretty much explains the issues being faced by certain groups within our society. They would rather be given something for free than learn to do something that will give them independence from their keepers.
That’s, it appears there’s at least one person who believes it’s better to be a burden on society rather than contributing to it.
Guess they enjoy the carrion their masters decide to leave them after they’ve gorged themselves with the fruits of our labors.
Being corrupt – lying, cheating, and stealing – is not the same as being savvy. (Unless you’re a Democrat.)
Check the voter registration list in Gainesville and Alachua County to see the number of Democrat vs Republican registrations. You will find that if every Republican voted, there would be a Democratic majority every time. This is one of the bluest counties in the state.
Even if FPL can only drop the rate by half why not let them take over GRU?
Wow. This is stunning. Didn’t realize it was this bad.
I guess it’s good timing for proposed board transition.