Why is my electric bill so high?

Every electric bill is built from four things: how many kilowatt-hours (kWh) you used, what you pay per kWh, how many days the bill covers, and fixed charges, taxes and fees. A bill feels high because one or more of those is bigger than you expected. Find out which one it is, because each has a different fix.

You need two numbers from the bill to start: this period's electric charges and the kWh used. The free bill check does the arithmetic below for you, without an upload or an account.

1. Work out what you pay per kWh

Divide this period's electric charges by the kWh used. That gives your all-in average price. It includes fixed monthly charges and taxes, so it is a little higher than what one more kWh actually costs you.

For context, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reports that Florida's average residential price was 14.99¢ per kWh in August 2026 (a preliminary figure), against a U.S. average of 18.16¢. That is an average across utilities and customers, not your rate. If your all-in price is well above it, look at fixed charges, taxes and tiered pricing (step 3) before assuming something is wrong. The price-per-kWh calculator separates the per-kWh part of your bill from the fixed part.

2. Work out how much you use per day

Divide kWh by the number of days in the billing period. Bills cover different numbers of days, so a per-day figure is the fair way to compare one month with another. See how billing days affect your bill.

EIA's figures for 2024 put the average Florida residential customer at 1,104 kWh a month and the U.S. average at 863 kWh a month. A single home's number depends on its size, the season, how many people live there, and whether it heats, cools and heats water with electricity. Being above the average is a reason to look closer, not proof of a problem.

3. Check whether you crossed a price tier

Both Florida residential rate schedules we've verified so far, FPL's and JEA's, charge more for each kWh above 1,000 kWh in a billing period. These are the per-kWh charges on their published rate sheets, added together, before taxes and local fees:

FPL's figure adds its base energy, fuel, storm protection, environmental, conservation and capacity charges and a small transition credit. JEA's adds its energy and fuel charges. In a hot month, every kWh past 1,000 costs exactly 2.000¢ more at FPL and 1.890¢ more at JEA than the kWh before it. More detail: FPL bills and JEA bills.

4. Check whether the price itself changed

Fuel charges move with fuel costs. JEA sets its fuel rate monthly: $42.82 per 1,000 kWh in September 2026, $43.26 in October and $49.75 in November. The same 1,000 kWh therefore carried $6.49 more in fuel charges in November than in October. Florida's Public Service Commission explains that fuel and purchased-power charges are reviewed at an annual public hearing and do not include a return or profit for the utility.

Credits can end, too. FPL's September 2026 rate sheet included a storm restoration recovery refund of 0.797¢ per kWh that is not on its October 2026 sheet. On 1,000 kWh, losing that refund adds $7.97 before taxes, with no change in your usage.

5. Look for what changed at home

If your kWh per day went up, the usual suspects are heating and cooling during hot or cold weather, more people at home, or new equipment such as an electric vehicle, a pool pump or plug-in space heaters. A single monthly total can't tell you which appliance used the electricity. To narrow it down:

• Compare kWh per day across several months. A rise that tracks the weather points to heating or cooling.
• Use your utility's usage tools. FPL's free Energy Manager, for example, shows when, where and how a home uses energy.
• Put a number on specific equipment with the appliance cost calculator, using the wattage and hours you actually run it.

How FPL and JEA compare at the same usage

The same kWh cost different amounts depending on your utility. Charges before taxes and local fees, on FPL's October 2026 residential rate and JEA's October 2026 rates with its November 2026 fuel rate:

Your utility is set by where you live, so this isn't a choice for most households. It explains why two similar homes in different service areas can get different bills, and why comparing your bill with a neighbor's only works if you share a utility.

The average price per kWh moves differently on each rate as well. On FPL it is 13.57¢ at 800 kWh and 13.63¢ at 1,500 kWh; on JEA, with its larger fixed charge, it falls from 15.42¢ to 14.82¢. On both, the kWh above 1,000 are the most expensive ones you buy, so they're the ones a cut in usage removes first.

What to do next

1. If usage went up: start with the free steps in your bill check plan, and price individual appliances before buying anything.
2. If the price went up: check the fuel line and any credits that ended. A price change you can't control still changes what each kWh saved is worth.
3. If you're not sure which: put this bill next to an earlier one in the bill comparison. It splits the difference into usage, price, billing days and other charges, and the parts add up to the total change.