Will your FPL bill go down with cooler weather? What to know about how much you spend

South Florida finally felt a cool-down in October — upper 50s in Miami! And in June, the Florida Public Service Commission approved a $359 million reduction to FPL’s 2023 fuel costs.

That means electric bills should be going down, right?

Yes, but maybe not fast enough for you.

“Hello neighbors! Isn’t FPL supposed to be cheaper during the fall? My bill has risen constantly $20-$30 every month. My AC is new,” said a resident from Broward’s Sunrise Golf Village who posted on the community app NextDoor on Oct. 16.

Relief from the heat — and in your monthly Florida Power & Light bill — may be coming soon thanks to a combination of nature, corporate decisions and personal habits of customers.

How cool weather affects an energy bill

This summer’s heat advisories — with feels-like temperatures above 105 — may have driven up your bill.

“Weather does often impact customer usage. Hot weather often causes the AC to turn on a lot more and vice-versa. However, bills are based on the prior month’s use. Any potential decrease in use due to lower temperatures today would be reflected on the November bill,” Bianca Soriano, manager of customer service communications for FPL, told the Miami Herald shortly after the first cool snap of the fall the week of Oct. 16.

If there are more days in the comfy 60s, some customers may switch off their air conditioner or fans during the cooler weather.

“They may benefit even more if they turn up their thermostat,” Soriano added. “We recommend 74-78 as a good range for energy efficiency, or even up to 82 degrees if no one is home. This is the best way to cut costs because cooling is usually around 60% of a customer’s bill.”

The opposite could also be true during a cold snap when customers may turn on their heater.

“All bills vary because customer usage varies so there isn’t an average figure for a drop in bills due to lower temperatures today,” she said. “It’s very dependent on customer habits, size of home, thermostat setting, comfort levels.”

A meter check

An FPL customer had a suggestion on NextDoor.

“One way you may be able to hasten to process is to call the number on your monthly bill and “tell them you want someone to come out and check your house and then tell them u want a new meter,” suggested the NextDoor user who lives in a Kendall neighborhood near Miami Dade College.

“Lowered FPL bill with new meter. I insisted on FPL replacing my meter after July bill went up over $200. This month it went back down over $130 with new meter,” she posted on Aug. 31.

Soriano confirmed customers can request a meter check and obtain a new “smart meter” if one is not already in place.

“That’s exactly right,” she said. “Most people by now should have smart meters, but some don’t. And even if they do have the smart meter, they don’t know that that level of detail is available for their specific account.”

One way to check is to download FPL’s free Energy Manager tool. The app lets customers track their home’s energy use to see which appliances are drawing the most energy, analyzes energy use so you can make modifications to perhaps use less but get the same efficiency and a lower bill, and get more tips in real time.

“You know what time of day, from daily to weekly to monthly, how much electricity you’re using at any given point in the day, how hot it is outside or how cold, and then you can see like exactly what you’re using in your specific house. So that’s really cool,” Soriano said.

There’s also an FPL Mobile App on the Apple App store, Google Play or by texting “App” to MyFPL (69375) that can help keep you up to speed with your energy usage and reach someone from the utility.

What makes up an electricity bill?

Utility bills are made up of a combination of factors, such as base rates, fuel costs and storm-related costs, the News Service of Florida reported in June when regulators approved FPL’s plan to reduce power bills by $256 million starting in July.

Utilities can seek midyear changes if fuel costs are higher than expected, like in 2022, or lower than expected, as was the case earlier this year, the news service reported.

KNOW MORE: How cold should you keep your air conditioner?

How can I make my electric bill cheaper?

A common mistake people make when heading off to the office for the day or going on vacation, is clicking off the AC. That’s poor efficiency and a potentially bigger bill come month’s end, according to FPL.

“FPL recommends keeping on the AC when no one is home because it takes more juice to cool your apartment or house from scratch than it does to keep the system running. Just turn up the thermostat a few notches to 82 if you’ll be away for a stretch,” the utility said.

Here are some other ways to help you save on that FPL bill, Soriano suggested:

▪ Unplug appliances like phone and laptops and chargers when not using them.

▪ “Using fans to cool yourself directly vs. turning your thermostat down,” Soriano said. “Of course, turn [the fan] off if you’re leaving the room. Fans cool people, not rooms.”

▪ “The water heater temperature can also be turned down from 140 to 120 and still be a nice warm temperature,” she said.

▪ Washing clothing in cold water can be a way to cut energy costs. “Washing clothing in cold water is more efficient as it costs 10 cents for a cold water load vs. nearly $1 for a hot water load,” Soriano said.

▪ Cool your home at 78 degrees or higher. Each degree you increase the temperature on your thermostat can reduce your bill by 5% a month for cooling costs.

▪ Clean the lint filter in your dryer before each load to minimize drying time.

▪ Turn off lights in unoccupied rooms.

Eliminate energy vampires

When some hear the terms energy vampires or energy phantoms, they may think of the psychological use of the term — needy, insecure people who drain your emotional energy. But energy vampires also apply to the Halloween-like figures that lurk seen and unseen in your house leeching off your electricity and driving up costs when in the “off” mode.

▪ Identify energy vampires or phantoms that silently drain energy from your home in your home, FPL says. “Phantom energy, lurking in the ‘off mode, can sneakily devour 5-10% of your electricity,” FPL said in a Halloween-themed release.

▪ Unplug devices that are off, such as coffee makers, phone and laptop chargers, entertainment systems and printers when you’re not using them as these devices often maintain a constant power draw due to LED lights or digital displays.

▪ Decorating for Halloween? Turning off power strips when not needed can disconnect power to multiple decorations, including inflatables and string lights, simultaneously, FPL suggested. “Investing in smart power strips or timers can allow you to automatically cut off power to devices based on schedules or inactivity and can help you save money and energy.”

▪ Let the sun shine in. If your home faces some sunlight, open the curtains so you can use natural light during the day but keep the windows and outside doors closed when the air conditioning is on. “Using natural light instead of turning on your overhead light not only benefits your health and wellness but can help lower your electric bill,” FPL said.