Tampa Electric rates, bills and the 2025 increase
Tampa Electric's 768,806 residential customers in Florida paid an average of 17.32¢ per kWh in 2025, for an average bill of $193.55 a month on 1,117 kWh.1 Over the last 12 months (Sep 2025–Aug 2026) the average was 18.09¢, and 16.39¢ in August 2026.2
EIA-861 2025 final (released October 7, 2026) and EIA's monthly utility survey through August 2026 (preliminary); next monthly update expected November 24, 2026. Averages are revenue divided by kWh, all charges included: not the rate printed in a tariff.
4 of 67 Florida counties served (EIA-861 2025)
Tampa Electric's residential average rose 18.1%1 from 2024 to 2025, the steepest increase among Florida's large utilities, and over the last 12 months its homes paid 18.09¢ per kWh2, more than customers of FPL, Duke Energy Florida or JEA. A base-rate increase and a storm surcharge explain the climb; the surcharge was scheduled to end in August 2026, and EIA's figure for that month is lower.
What Tampa Electric customers pay per kWh
| Period | Residential average price | Average monthly bill | Use per home |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 (EIA-861) | 14.67¢ per kWh | $165.79 | 1,130 kWh3 |
| 2025 (EIA-861) | 17.32¢ per kWh | $193.55 | 1,117 kWh1 |
| Last 12 months, September 2025 to August 2026 (EIA-861M, preliminary for 2026) | 18.09¢ per kWh | $201.50 | 1,114 kWh2 |
Every price in this table is an average: what the 768,8061 residential customers were billed in total, divided by the kilowatt-hours they used. It includes the monthly customer charge, base energy charges, fuel and other cost-recovery clauses and, from March 2025, the storm surcharge; it excludes most taxes. A household that uses little electricity pays more than this per kWh, because the fixed charge is spread over fewer kWh. In August 20264 alone, the residential average was 16.39¢ per kWh2.
On the 2025 figure, Tampa Electric was 13.9% above the Florida average (15.21¢ per kWh5, all providers) and 6th highest of the 36 Florida utilities with 10,000 or more residential customers. Nationally it ranked 53rd highest of 177 utilities with 100,000 or more residential customers, and it was 2.6% below the national average for investor-owned utilities1: high for Florida, near the middle for an investor-owned utility in the US.
Three steps in two years: base rates, a storm surcharge, and its end
The +18.1%1 change in 2025 was not a single event. EIA's monthly series for Tampa Electric shows the residential average moving in distinct steps, and each lines up with a charge approved by the Florida Public Service Commission.
Source: EIA-861M monthly sales and revenue by utility; EIA, Electric Power Monthly / EIA-861M sales and revenue by state. Residential revenue divided by kWh in each month, as reported to EIA's monthly survey (EIA-861M; months since January 2026 preliminary).
Show the numbers
| Month | Tampa Electric (¢/kWh) | kWh per customer | Bill per customer |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 2025 | 15.56¢ | 975 | $151.76 |
| February 2025 | 15.43¢ | 968 | $149.34 |
| March 2025 | 17.66¢ | 786 | $138.75 |
| April 2025 | 17.55¢ | 911 | $159.83 |
| May 2025 | 17.47¢ | 1,143 | $199.64 |
| June 2025 | 17.63¢ | 1,373 | $242.05 |
| July 2025 | 17.61¢ | 1,373 | $241.77 |
| August 2025 | 17.59¢ | 1,481 | $260.50 |
| September 2025 | 17.61¢ | 1,364 | $240.26 |
| October 2025 | 17.61¢ | 1,211 | $213.22 |
| November 2025 | 17.78¢ | 986 | $175.29 |
| December 2025 | 17.88¢ | 835 | $149.35 |
| January 2026 | 18.84¢ | 891 | $167.85 |
| February 2026 | 18.61¢ | 1,020 | $189.91 |
| March 2026 | 18.68¢ | 872 | $162.96 |
| April 2026 | 18.70¢ | 918 | $171.76 |
| May 2026 | 18.57¢ | 1,069 | $198.52 |
| June 2026 | 18.53¢ | 1,374 | $254.55 |
| July 2026 | 18.50¢ | 1,460 | $270.26 |
| August 2026 | 16.39¢ | 1,364 | $223.54 |
- January 2025: new base rates. In Tampa Electric's last rate case, the commission approved a base-rate increase for 2025 and smaller steps for 2026 and 2027; the final order was issued on February 3, 2025. The monthly averages for January and February 2025 already sit above the 2024 annual average of 14.67¢ per kWh3.
- March 2025: the storm surcharge. The commission allowed Tampa Electric to recover restoration costs from Hurricanes Helene and Milton, Tropical Storm Debby and Tropical Storm Idalia, and to rebuild its storm reserve, through a temporary charge on all bills from March 2025 (interim order, February 2025). In EIA's data, March 2025 is the month the average jumps.
- January 2026: the second base-rate step, approved by the commission in November 2025 (consummating order, December 2025). The monthly average rose again and stayed higher through July 2026, which helps explain why the 12-month figure (18.09¢ per kWh2) is above the 2025 average (17.32¢ per kWh1).
- August 2026: the surcharge ends. Tampa Electric's storm surcharge page gives the billing period as March 2025 through August 2026. In EIA's data the residential average fell in August 2026.
In August 20264, the latest month published, the average was 16.39¢ per kWh, −6.8%2 against August 2025. Monthly figures for 2026 are preliminary, and one month is a narrow window. The next EIA release, on November 24, 2026, adds September 2026. Fuel charges are reset separately each year, so the average can move between rate decisions; the guide to rate increases explains how base-rate and clause decisions reach a bill.
The largest bill among Florida's big utilities
Tampa Electric homes use about as much electricity as the Florida average (1,117 kWh a month in 2025, against 1,103 kWh statewide), so the difference in bills comes from price. The average bill of $193.55 compared with $185.26 at Duke Energy Florida, $162.38 at Florida Power & Light, $146.38 at JEA and $167.866 for Florida as a whole. It was a change of +16.7%1 on $165.79 in 2024, while use per home edged down from 1,130 kWh3.
Source: EIA-861 annual electric power industry report, 2025 final. EIA-861 2025 final. Average revenue per kWh is all charges divided by kWh; it is not a tariff rate.
Show the numbers
| Utility | average monthly residential bill |
|---|---|
| OUC (FL) | $128.69 |
| JEA (FL) | $146.38 |
| Florida Power & Light (FL) | $162.38 |
| LCEC (FL) | $166.98 |
| Duke Energy Florida (FL) | $185.26 |
| Tampa Electric (FL) | $193.55 |
The 12-month view tells the same story: 18.09¢ per kWh at Tampa Electric over September 2025 to August 2026, against 17.12¢ per kWh at Duke Energy Florida, 14.81¢ per kWh at FPL and 14.76¢ per kWh2 at JEA. Across all Florida investor-owned utilities, the 2025 residential average was 15.69¢ per kWh; public power averaged 13.17¢ per kWh and cooperatives 14.43¢ per kWh1.
July bills near the top of the range
Use per home follows the heat. Florida's 3,429 cooling degree days a year (NOAA's 2016 to 2025 average) ranked the highest7 among the 48 contiguous states and DC. Over the last 12 months (September 2025 to August 2026), Tampa Electric homes used between 835 kWh in December 2025 and 1,460 kWh in July 2026, and the average bill ranged from $149.35 to $270.262.
Source: EIA-861M monthly sales and revenue by utility. kWh per residential customer in each month (EIA-861M; months since January 2026 preliminary). The table adds the average bill and price for the month.
Show the numbers
| Month | kWh per customer | Bill per customer | ¢/kWh |
|---|---|---|---|
| September 2025 | 1,364 | $240.26 | 17.61¢ |
| October 2025 | 1,211 | $213.22 | 17.61¢ |
| November 2025 | 986 | $175.29 | 17.78¢ |
| December 2025 | 835 | $149.35 | 17.88¢ |
| January 2026 | 891 | $167.85 | 18.84¢ |
| February 2026 | 1,020 | $189.91 | 18.61¢ |
| March 2026 | 872 | $162.96 | 18.68¢ |
| April 2026 | 918 | $171.76 | 18.70¢ |
| May 2026 | 1,069 | $198.52 | 18.57¢ |
| June 2026 | 1,374 | $254.55 | 18.53¢ |
| July 2026 | 1,460 | $270.26 | 18.50¢ |
| August 2026 | 1,364 | $223.54 | 16.39¢ |
The July 2026 peak came while both the storm surcharge and the 2026 base-rate step were on the bill, so the summer bill reflects some of the highest monthly prices in the series as well as the highest use.
Hillsborough and three neighbouring counties
EIA's service-territory records place Tampa Electric in 4 counties: Hillsborough County, Pasco County, Pinellas County and Polk County. In all 48, at least one other distribution utility also reports customers: Duke Energy Florida reports customers in all four, and Lakeland Electric in Polk. A county or ZIP code does not settle which utility serves a home, and EIA publishes no city prices. Tampa Electric's own service-area map decides by address.
Source: EIA-861 2025, service territory; Census Bureau, Cartographic boundary file, counties. EIA-861 2025 service territory: 4 counties. Counts whole counties even where the utility serves only part of one; check the utility's own service-area map for an address.
Show the numbers
| County | Other utilities reporting service |
|---|---|
| Hillsborough County | Duke Energy Florida, Peace River Electric Cooperative |
| Pasco County | Duke Energy Florida, SECO Energy, Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative |
| Pinellas County | Duke Energy Florida |
| Polk County | Duke Energy Florida, Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative, Lakeland Electric, Peace River Electric Cooperative, City of Bartow, City of Fort Meade |
Tampa Electric delivered to 861,413 accounts of all kinds in 2025, and its residential customers were 7.3% of Florida's, the third-largest share after Florida Power & Light and Duke Energy Florida1.
Outages: longer than the Florida average
Tampa Electric customers averaged 112 minutes without power in 2025 including major event days, more than the Florida average of 70 minutes, and 79 minutes excluding them, with 1.85 interruptions per customer against 0.85 statewide, all measured under IEEE 1366. FPL reported 47 minutes and Duke Energy Florida 87 minutes10 on the same basis. A single storm can move one year's total a long way, so it is not a trend.
Solar, smart meters and critical peak pricing
Rooftop solar is more common here than on FPL's system: 32,662 residential net-metered installations at the end of 2025, 42.5 per 1,000 residential customers, with 392.1 megawatts of capacity, against 22.4 per 1,000 at FPL and 57.111 at Duke Energy Florida.
Advanced meters cover 99.9% of residential meters. The time-varying program Tampa Electric reports to EIA is critical peak pricing, under which prices rise during peak events the utility declares; 3,519 customers, 0.5%11 of residential customers, were enrolled in 2025. Hours and prices are in the tariff on file with the commission; the time-of-use guide explains how such rates change a bill.
Commercial and industrial customers
Businesses paid less per kWh than homes. Commercial customers averaged 12.61¢ per kWh in 2025, with an average monthly bill of $981.17 against $730.656 for Florida commercial accounts; the 1,292 industrial accounts averaged 9.24¢ per kWh. Across every customer class the average was 14.59¢ per kWh1. These are averages over many rate schedules, not a commercial tariff.
For help with bills, Florida's allocation from the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) was $121.6 million12 for fiscal year 2026; electricity in Florida covers the statewide picture.
Questions and answers
What are Tampa Electric's rates per kWh?
Residential customers paid an average of 18.09¢ per kWh over the last 12 months (September 2025 to August 2026; 2026 months preliminary), 17.32¢ per kWh1 in calendar 2025 and 16.39¢ per kWh2 in August 20264. Each is total residential revenue divided by kWh sold, so the customer charge, fuel and other clause charges and the storm surcharge are folded in. The energy charge in Tampa Electric's tariff is a narrower number and will look lower.
Did Tampa Electric raise rates in 2026?
Base rates took a further, smaller step in January 2026 under the rate case the Florida Public Service Commission decided in early 2025. EIA's monthly data show the residential average higher in the first months of 2026 than in late 2025, then lower in August 2026, when the storm surcharge was scheduled to end. The latest reading is 16.39¢ per kWh in August 20264, −6.8%2 against the same month a year earlier.
What is the average Tampa Electric bill?
$193.55 a month in 2025 for 1,117 kWh1, and $201.50 over the last 12 months (September 2025 to August 2026). The highest month in that window was July 2026, at $270.262.
Is TECO the same as Tampa Electric?
Yes. TECO is the short name used for Tampa Electric Company, an investor-owned utility. Florida has no retail choice (0.0%1 of residential customers bought from a competitive supplier in 2025), so homes on its lines buy their electricity from it.
Related pages
Sources
- EIA-861 annual electric power industry report, 2025 final; table Sales_Ult_Cust_2025; 2025, final; released October 7, 2026. www.eia.gov
- EIA-861M monthly sales and revenue by utility; table sales_ult_cust_2025 and _2026; released October 23, 2026. www.eia.gov
- EIA-861 annual electric power industry report, 2024 final; table Sales_Ult_Cust_2024; 2024, final (file updated December 3, 2025); released December 3, 2025. www.eia.gov
- EIA, Electric Power Monthly / EIA-861M sales and revenue by state; table sales_revenue.xlsx (EPM Table 5.6.A); January 2001 to 2026-08; months since January 2026 preliminary; released October 23, 2026. www.eia.gov
- EIA, Historical state data, annual sales, revenue and customers; table HS861 2010-.xlsx; 2010-2025, final; released October 7, 2026. www.eia.gov
- EIA-861 2025, average monthly bill by state; table Average_Bill_2025; 2025, final; released October 7, 2026. www.eia.gov
- NOAA, Climate Prediction Center population-weighted degree days by state; table daily state files, base 65°F; 2016-2025 annual sums; 1981-2010 CPC normals; released November 13, 2026. ftp.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov
- EIA-861 2025, service territory; table Service_Territory_2025; 2025, final; released October 7, 2026. www.eia.gov
- Census Bureau, Cartographic boundary file, counties; table cb_2025_us_county_5m; cb_2021_us_county_5m; 2025 (2021 for Connecticut). www.census.gov
- EIA-861 2025, reliability; table Reliability_2025; 2025, final; released October 7, 2026. www.eia.gov
- EIA-861 2025, advanced meters, dynamic pricing and net metering; table Advanced_Meters, Dynamic_Pricing, Net_Metering 2025; 2025, final; released October 7, 2026. www.eia.gov
- HHS, LIHEAP funding releases to states; table FY2027 first release; FY2026 final; FY2027 first release (October 9, 2026); FY2026 total; released October 9, 2026. acf.gov
How every figure is built: methodology. Found an error? Write to [email protected]; corrections are listed on the updates page.