JUNO BEACH, Fla., Jan. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Florida Power & Light Company and Gulf Power
Company have integrated and are now doing business as Florida Power & Light Company in
Northwest Florida.
"This is an exciting day for everyone at FPL and Gulf Power, as
well as the 5.6 million customers we serve across Florida from
Miami to Pensacola, as we expand to Northwest Florida
America's best energy value – electricity that's not just clean and
reliable, but also affordable. Customers in Northwest Florida will benefit from
increasingly more affordable electric bills as part of the
company's approved four-year rate plan," said Eric Silagy, president and CEO of FPL. "Since
the acquisition of Gulf Power in 2019, our team has worked
tirelessly to identify and implement productivity improvements and
integrate the two companies, improving reliability roughly 50% and
reducing the carbon dioxide emissions rate nearly 30% in just three
years. Today's milestone is the next step in continuing to build a
more resilient and sustainable energy future all of us can depend
on, including future generations."
Productivity improvements at Gulf Power since its acquisition by
NextEra Energy, FPL's parent company, are expected to reduce annual
operations and maintenance expenses in 2022 by $86 million which, on a scale-adjusted basis, is
the equivalent of saving nearly $1
billion at FPL. FPL also projects long-term combined system
benefits of approximately $1.5
billion as a result of power generation upgrades already
underway, a new transmission line physically connecting both
utility systems and the ability to dispatch from, and plan for, a
common fleet of power generation resources. In total, combining the
two companies and operating as a single utility system is projected
to save customers more than $2.8
billion over the lifetime of these assets.
FPL will rebrand Gulf Power office buildings, trucks and
uniforms with the FPL logo over the coming months. During this
transition period, customers may see employee uniforms and vehicles
with either the FPL logo or Gulf Power logo.
"While the logo on our bucket trucks and office buildings is
changing, our steadfast commitment to Northwest Florida will remain as strong as
ever," Silagy said. "The FPL team remains proud to continue to call
you our neighbors and remain in Northwest
Florida to serve you."
New rate plan
The company's four-year rate plan,
unanimously approved by the Florida Public Service Commission in
October 2021, goes into effect on
Jan. 1, 2022. The plan unifies the
rates and tariffs of FPL and Gulf Power and supports FPL's
continued long-term investments in infrastructure, clean energy and
innovative technology – including the largest solar buildout in the
U.S. In recognition of the initial difference in the costs of
serving the existing FPL and Gulf Power customers, the settlement
agreement implements a transition rider/credit mechanism to address
those differences in a reasonable manner for all customers. The
transition rider/credit will decline to zero over a five-year
period, at which point rates would be fully aligned by Jan. 1, 2027.
Under the plan, FPL's typical 1,000-kWh residential bill is
projected to remain well below the national average and among the
lowest in Florida through 2025.
For customers in Northwest
Florida, a typical 1,000-kWh residential customer bill is
projected to decline over the next four years. To learn more about
the plan, visit www.FPL.com/answers.
System improvements
System improvements are underway
and will continue throughout the weekend. During the transition,
customers will be unable to manage their accounts, make a payment
or report an outage on the Gulf Power website, mobile app or
through the automated phone system. Customers can continue to
report an outage at 800-487-6937 during this time. Rest assured,
there will be no disconnections or adverse impacts to the status of
customers' accounts while the systems are unavailable.
New customer experience
Starting Jan. 3, customers can visit their new web
experience at FPL.com and log in with their existing username and
password to manage their account. The FPL Mobile App will also be
available for download to provide customers with instant, secure
access to their accounts, while on the go. In addition, customers
will be able to report an outage through FPL.com and the new FPL
Mobile App.
Be aware of potential scams
FPL encourages customers
to be on the lookout for potential scams. Scammers continue to
aggressively target utility customers using phones, emails and
in-person visits. Be wary of suspicious activity and learn how to
spot a scam. The company reminds its customers and others to:
- Hang up if you get a suspicious call from someone claiming to
be from FPL. The caller ID may even display FPL's or Gulf Power's
name.
- Never share personal information.
- Do not pay over the phone if the caller is asking for immediate
payment only with a prepaid card or wire transfer to avoid
disconnection.
- Ask to see identification if someone comes to your door or into
your yard and claims to represent FPL or Gulf Power. All company
employees carry a photo identification badge.
- Contact FPL at 800-225-5797 to report a scam or confirm
information if you are in doubt about anything you receive by
mail or email.
After a scam incident, customers should also contact their local
police department, the Florida Attorney General Office at
www.MyFloridaLegal.com or the Federal Trade Commission at
www.consumer.ftc.gov.
Florida Power & Light
Company
Florida Power &
Light Company is the largest energy company in the U.S. as measured
by retail electricity produced and sold. The company serves more
than 5.6 million customer accounts supporting more than 11 million
residents across Florida with clean, reliable and affordable
electricity. FPL operates one of the cleanest power generation
fleets in the U.S and in 2021 won the
ReliabilityOne® National Reliability Excellence Award, presented by
PA Consulting, for the sixth time in the last seven years. The
company was recognized in 2020 as one of the most trusted U.S.
electric utilities by Escalent for the seventh consecutive year.
FPL is a subsidiary of Juno Beach,
Florida-based NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE), a clean
energy company widely recognized for its efforts in sustainability,
ethics and diversity, and has been ranked No. 1 in the electric and
gas utilities industry in Fortune's 2021 list of "World's Most
Admired Companies." NextEra Energy is also the parent company of
NextEra Energy Resources, LLC, which, together with its affiliated
entities, is the world's largest generator of renewable energy from
the wind and sun and a world leader in battery storage. For more
information about NextEra Energy companies, visit these websites:
www.NextEraEnergy.com, www.FPL.com,
www.NextEraEnergyResources.com.
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SOURCE Florida Power & Light
Company; NextEra Energy, Inc.