If you’re a Lakeland Electric customer, you might want to brace your budget. The Lakeland City Commission approved a significant hike.

If you’re a Lakeland Electric customer, you might want to brace your budget. In a vote on Monday, March 2, 2026, the Lakeland City Commission approved a significant hike to the fuel charge to account for recent market volatility and a particularly cold February.

While headlines may vary slightly on the exact dollar amount due to different usage estimates, here is the breakdown of what is changing and why:

The Rate Adjustment

• The Increase: The fuel charge is rising by $15.00 per 1,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh).
• New Rate: The charge moves from $47.00 to $62.00 per 1,000 kWh (or 6.2¢ per kWh).
• Effective Date: This change kicks in on April 1, 2026.

Note on the “$18” Figure: While the standard industry benchmark is 1,000 kWh ($15 increase), the average Lakeland household often consumes closer to 1,200 kWh per month. For those customers, the increase will indeed feel more like $18.00 on their monthly bill.

---

Why is this happening?

According to utility officials, two main factors drove this decision:

1. February’s “Deep Freeze”: An unusually cold February caused a spike in natural gas prices and energy demand.
2. Market Volatility: Ongoing global energy market fluctuations and supply costs have made it more expensive for the utility to generate power.

Timing & Impact

The commission chose to implement the hike in the spring intentionally. Since electricity usage is typically lower during the mild spring months compared to the sweltering Florida summer, they hope this timing will soften the blow before air conditioning units start running 24/7.

Even with this increase, Lakeland Electric continues to promote itself as having some of the lowest residential rates in the state of Florida.