JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – If the JEA Board of Directors approves a proposal to increase electric, water and wastewater rates , customers of the city-owned utility could see an average bill increase of about 3.7% starting in April.

The Board of Directors will vote on the measure, first proposed in October 2024, at their 9 a.m. meeting Tuesday.

“The proposed adjustments will better align our revenue requirements with what it costs to serve customers and will continue to keep our rates among the lowest in Florida,” JEA said in a statement back in February.

According to JEA, if approved, the rate hikes will help maintain infrastructure and build new facilities. They will also help JEA keep up with regulatory requirements such as reducing carbon emissions and water pollution.

JEA has previously said the proposed rate hikes are “ predominantly attributed to obligations to Plant Vogtle, ” a nuclear power plant in Georgia that provides clean energy to JEA customers.

JEA public information officer Myers Vazquez said that the rate adjustments are based on consumption, so some customers in single households won’t even see a price increase.

“It all depends based on consumption and meter size. There are some customers who will have their rate classification change from multifamily to single, individual customers, and so those customers will see a slight decrease based on consumption,” Vasquez said.

Many customers are unhappy with the idea of paying more, but JEA said the proposed increase is below inflation, and that the rates will remain amongst the lowest in Florida even with the approval of the rate adjustments.

“We completely understand that it’s going to hit some people in the pocketbooks. So, we are offering tips on how to consume,” Vasquez said. “If your bill, is only going to go up a few bucks, there’s some tips on how we can help you capture that cost back. There’s programs we have available for those who are going to be hit the hardest, who may have some monetary issues where they can’t afford the bill.”

Vasquez is referring to JEA’s free efficiency and irrigation assessments, free water conservation kits, and efficiency rebates. The utility company also offers payment solutions to help manage utility expenses, and financial assistance programs for those who may be struggling to make ends meet.

For more information, visit www.jea.com/waytosave .

Electric rate recommendations

An electric bill is based on the number of kilowatt-hours (kwh) that are used each month.

Under the proposed changes, the rate adjusted for a 1,000kwh bill would be approximately 3.6% higher. According to JEA, 59% of customer bills are at 1,000 kWh or less monthly.

In 2026, the rate would increase by 5.4%, equivalent to a $7 increase.

Waste & sewer rate recommendations

JEA is proposing a 6% rate revenue adjustment for water and sewer for FY-2025 and a 4.2% rate revenue adjustment for FY-2026.

For a 3/4″ meter size, there would be an increase of $0.46 for sewer for FY-2025 and a $1.76 increase for FY-2026. According to JEA, 60% of residential sewer customers use this meter size.

Residential water rates would increase by $1.23 for a 3/4″ meter for FY-2025 and $0.56 for FY-2026.

If approved, the rate increases will be incremental, starting in April and adjusting again in October.