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PSC Offers Easy Repairs to Save Valuable Water and Money

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The Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) urges you to check your household plumbing during EPA’s 10th annual Fix a Leak Week, March 19-25.

“Fix a Leak Week is a reminder to quit putting off those easy, do-it-yourself plumbing repairs,” said PSC Chairman Art Graham. “Household leaks can waste more than 1 trillion gallons of water annually nationwide, and it’s important that we each do our part to curb this needless waste.”

According to the EPA, the average household leaks more than 10,000 gallons of water every year, with 10 percent of homes wasting 90 gallons or more per day. The good news is that many leaks inside and outside homes are easy to fix and save not only valuable water supplies, but also money through lower utility bills.

Common types of residential leaks are worn toilet flappers, dripping faucets, and other leaking valves. Fixing these leaks often requires only a few tools and hardware, and can save about 10 percent on a water bill. DIY tools pay for themselves in water savings!

Here are some quick tips to identify leaks in your home:

  • Take a look at your water usage during a colder month, such as January or February. Leaks are indicated if a family of four exceeds 12,000 gallons per month.
  • Check your water meter before and after a two-hour period when no water is being used. If the meter changes at all, you probably have a leak.
  • Identify toilet leaks by placing a drop of food coloring in the toilet tank. If any color appears in the bowl after 10 minutes, you have a leak. (Be sure to flush immediately after the experiment to avoid staining the tank.)
  • Examine faucet gaskets and pipe fittings for any water on the outside of the pipe to check for surface leaks.

The PSC makes your job easier with helpful guidelines found in its Drop by Drop brochure.  Find more information on Fix a Leak Week here.

PSC to Help Consumers in Washington County for National Consumer Protection Week

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The Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) will be informing consumers about scams targeting utility customers during the 20th Annual National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW), March 4–10, 2018.

On Thursday, March 8, 2018, PSC staff will be speaking with customers in Washington County about how to avoid these scams while also providing tips on energy and water conservation and information about the Lifeline Assistance telephone/broadband discount program.

The time and place for the PSC event is below:

Thursday, March 8, 2018
2:15 p.m. CST
Washington County Council on Aging
1348 South Boulevard
Chipley, Florida 32428

For more information about NCPW and to see a nationwide calendar of events, please visit ncpw.gov.

PSC to Help Consumers in Leon County for National Consumer Protection Week

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The Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) will be informing consumers about scams targeting utility customers during the 20th Annual National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW), March 4–10, 2018.

On Thursday, March 8, 2018, PSC staff will speak with consumers in Leon County about how to avoid these scams while also providing tips on energy and water conservation and information about the Lifeline Assistance telephone/broadband discount program.

The PSC event is scheduled at the below time and place:

Thursday, March 8, 2018
10:30 a.m.
Woodville Senior Center
8000 Old Woodville Road
Tallahassee, Florida 32305

For more information about NCPW and to see a nationwide calendar of events, please visit ncpw.gov.

PSC to Help Consumers in Hillsborough County for National Consumer Protection Week

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The Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) will be informing consumers about scams targeting utility customers during the 20th Annual National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW), March 4–10, 2018.

On Tuesday, March 6, 2018, PSC staff will be speaking with consumers in Hillsborough County about how to avoid these scams while also providing tips on energy and water conservation and information about the Lifeline Assistance telephone/broadband discount program.

Information on the PSC’s NCPW events is below:

Tuesday, March 6, 2018
11:15 a.m.
Tampa Housing Authority
J.L. Young Garden Apartments
Dining Room
8220 N. Florida Ave
Tampa, Florida 33604

***

Tuesday, March 6, 2018
12:30 p.m.
The Oaks at Riverview
101 East Kirby Street
Tampa, Florida 33604

For more NCPW information and to see a nationwide calendar of events, please visit ncpw.gov.

For additional information, visit floridapsc.com.

PSC Highlights National Consumer Protection Week

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Consumer protections are a priority at the Florida Public Service Commission (PSC), and each spring the PSC reinforces this by celebrating National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW). This year, during NCPW’s 20th anniversary, March 4-10, the PSC will help consumers avoid scams and fraud, conserve water and energy, and manage utility bills.

“The PSC has been protecting consumers for more than 130 years,” said PSC Chairman Art Graham.  “A week devoted to consumer protections is always a good thing, but I encourage consumers needing utility information or assistance to call the PSC at 800-342-3552 any time of the year!”

Here are three excellent ways the PSC keeps consumers informed year-round:

  • Awareness/Education

The PSC coordinates or participates in community events to promote energy efficiency, water conservation, and scam prevention education. Each month, we also plan events to promote Lifeline Assistance, a federal program designed to make telecommunications/broadband services more affordable for low-income households.

  • Free Resources

The PSC has many educational brochures to help consumers save energy, conserve water, avoid utility-related scams, and learn about Lifeline and other relevant topics. Brochures may be accessed and printed directly from the website, ordered free online, or requested by mail or phone (800-342-3552).  Consumers can also learn about docketed or emerging utility issues by visiting floridapsc.com.

  • Hearings, Meetings, and Workshops

Consumers can learn about the PSC and its proceedings by attending a hearing, meeting, or workshop in Tallahassee, or a customer hearing or meeting held throughout the state. Public customer meetings provide an inclusive process, allowing consumers to share their views with Commissioners. The PSC also live streams all Tallahassee meetings, as well as off-site meetings attended by two or more Commissioners.

During NCPW, the PSC will make presentations to consumers in Hillsborough, Washington, and Leon Counties. Presentation locations and times can be found on the PSC website, floridapsc.com.

For more information about NCPW, sponsored by the Federal Trade Commission and other partners, visit the official 2018 NCPW website.

New Florida Majority: PSC Decision on Dania Beach Plant Ignores the Will of the People

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The New Florida Majority released the following statement upon hearing that the state’s Public Service Commission had approved Florida Power & Light’s latest plans for a fracked gas-powered plant in Dania Beach:

“We are disappointed with the Public Service Commission’s decision to approve the FPL’s expansion of its current plant in Dania Beach without formal community input and approval.

Community residents have made it clear that they are worried that the current design fails to utilize solar energy and is dependent on fracked gas that will be pumped in from out of state. They have asked for a public meeting with elected leaders and FPL staff to answer the questions that still remain, including whether the rebuilt and expanded plant will rely on the fracked gas plants that they are heavily invested in other states.

Elected officials in Dania Beach and in the Florida Cabinet that continue to be part of the approval process should respect the will of the people. Residents deserve a meeting — in person and face to face.

We join with community residents in demanding that FPL and local government officials participate in a public meeting to answer these and any other outstanding questions. It’s a question of respect. Otherwise, this project risks becoming just another example of how low-income neighborhoods and communities of color disproportionately pay the high cost of electricity and unhealthy environmental impacts in the guise of economic development and efficiency.”

PSC Approval Averts Storm Cost Increase for TECO Customers

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Tampa Electric Company (TECO) customers won’t have to pay the utility’s requested $10 per month storm restoration surcharge. The Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) today approved TECO’s negotiated plan to apply its federal tax savings to cover its storm damage costs.

“We’re happy that customers will benefit sooner rather than later from the federal tax law changes,” said PSC Chairman Art Graham.  “Addressing possible tax savings was part of our approval of TECO’s 2017 rate agreement, and today’s plan affirms that customers will immediately benefit.”

In January, TECO filed a request with the PSC to collect $102.5 million from its customers to pay for 2015-2017 named storm recovery efforts and replenish its storm reserve. A residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt-hours a month would have seen a $10.07 increase beginning in April and continuing for nine months.

After federal tax cuts passed in late 2017, TECO reached an agreement with customer representatives that prevents adding the storm charge to bills by applying the new tax savings earlier than required. The PSC today chose that alternative, avoiding a bill increase.

The Office of Public Counsel, which represents customers, the Florida Industrial Power Users Group, Florida Retail Federation, Federal Executive Agencies, and WCF Hospital Utility Alliance support the plan.

Tampa Electric serves about 750,000 customers in West Central Florida.

PSC Finds Need for New FPL Dania Beach Plant

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The Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) today determined there is a need for Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) to replace its power plant in Broward County with a more efficient clean energy center. Expected to begin service in 2022, the new plant will increase system reliability at a reduced cost for FPL customers.

“The Dania Beach Clean Energy Center will save FPL customers from $299 to $364 million, as well as generate additional tax revenues for local governments and new jobs during the plant’s construction,” said PSC Chairman Art Graham. “The new plant will also reduce harmful air emissions, helping environmental quality.”

Commissioners agreed that retiring FPL’s existing Lauderdale plant this year, and reusing its infrastructure for the new facility is the most cost effective way to meet customers’ increasing power needs. Dania Beach will be a modernized 1,163 megawatt plant and will not require any new transmission lines, substation facilities, gas pipelines, or water supply. The project is expected to cost $888 million.

The existing Lauderdale plant has been upgraded or re-powered three times since its construction in 1925 as FPL’s first power plant. In contrast to Lauderdale, the new Dania Beach facility’s emission rates will be reduced by 95 percent for nitrogen oxide and by 22 percent for carbon dioxide, and its water allocation for power generation will be reduced by 1.0 to 1.69 million gallons per day.

FPL serves 4.9 million customer accounts across the state.

Florida PSC Commission Conference on Thursday

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The Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) will hold a Commission Conference on Thursday, March 1, 2018, at 9:30 a.m. Items scheduled for consideration can be found here. Public comment may be taken on any item noticed for public participation.

The Commission Conference is scheduled for the following time and location:

Thursday, March 1, 2018
9:30 a.m.
Betty Easley Conference Center
Joseph P. Cresse Hearing Room (Room 148)
4075 Esplanade Way
Tallahassee, Florida

The Commission Conference will be broadcast on the Florida Channel (check your local listing) and is available online at floridapsc.com (look for the “Watch Live Broadcast” icon on the left side of the webpage).

For additional information, visit floridapsc.com.

PSC Asserts Jurisdiction to Recover Tax Savings for Customers

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The Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) today declared immediate jurisdiction to determine whether the federal tax savings Florida utilities are reaping as a result of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (Act) must be returned to customers.

The Act took effect January 1, 2018 and reduces the federal corporate income tax rate from 35 to 21 percent.

The PSC action preserves its authority to flow back any savings to customers, and applies to all investor-owned utilities (IOUs)—electric, water/wastewater, and natural gas—that do not already have rate case settlements giving tax reform benefits to ratepayers. Actual amounts will be determined after a hearing.

Today’s vote came in response to a January 9 petition by Office of Public Counsel, and is effective immediately.

“Today we drove a stake in the ground,” said PSC Chairman Art Graham. “The urgent need was to assert our jurisdiction to determine who should rightly benefit from any tax savings. Now we can embark on a deliberative process to make sure customers are treated fairly.”

Previous rate case settlements for Duke Energy Florida, LLC; Tampa Electric Company; Gulf Power Company; and Florida Public Utilities Company contain provisions for flowing tax cut benefits back to customers, and that process will go forward in accordance with each settlement’s terms.