FPL customers to get break

Low-income residents will see a $20 monthly credit soon

Florida Power & Light announced it will give its low-income customers a $20 monthly bill credit for a year to help offset financial hardships related to the COVID19 pandemic.

The credit will be given to an estimated 55,000 FPL customers who currently receive federal assistance through the Low

Income Home Energy Assistance Program or the Emergency Home Energy Assistance for the Elderly Program, the company said in a news release.

The $20 credit will be applied to those customers’ bills beginning in December and will last through December 2021. The number of eligible customers include about 7,800 in Broward County, 5,000 in Palm Beach County and 24,200 in Miami-Dade County.

Eric Silagy, FPL’s president and CEO, was quoted in the release as saying the credit was a way “we are finding innovative solutions to help our customers, especially the most vulnerable in our communities.” He added, “We will continue to help all of our customers who are still struggling through this global pandemic.”

Customers who may be eligible for one of the two federal assistance programs but are not currently receiving subsidies will also be eligible for the credit. They will be notified about the credit, FPL said.

The release also announced FPL’s plans to provide bill credits for eligible small busi

nesses and independent stores in the beginning of 2021. Further details were not provided.

Since last spring, FPL has announced several measures to help customers affected by the pandemic.

While the utility did not forgive customers’ bills, it suspended disconnections from March through Oct. 1 and provided one-time bill credits of up to $200 to help past-due customers get current.

More than 112,000 residential and small business customers have received more than $15 million in

credits since September, the company said.

In addition, the company is accelerating deposit refunds to eligible residential customers who have paid on time and in full for the last 12 months. Now that it has approval for the plan from the Florida Public Service Commission, the utility plans to distribute those refunds beginning in December.

Normally, customers with good payment records must wait 23 months to get their deposit refunds back.

FPL is also planning accelerate deposit refunds to eligible small business customers, it said. Since announcing that it would resume disconnections

for non-payment after Oct. 1, FPL says it’s helped 75% of customers who received a final notice and passed their due date make payment arrangement and avoid disconnections. More than 80% of customers who were disconnected were reconnected after they paid their past-due balance.

FPL is continuing to offer payment extensions and waiving late fees for customers who contact the company and explain that they are experiencing hardships due to the pandemic. Customers can learn about available resources at FPL. com/Help or call FPL directly and toll-free at 800-226-3545.