[beach43ofus]

Every expense is controllable in FLA, & if you are smart & frugal, you'll have costs like ours...

Through 5 yrs in our current home, our FLA electric bill averages $125/month for a 3,000 sq ft home.

Our property insurance is $1,250 (flood would add $600 more), so $1,850, but we do carry the highest deductible.

Every list I've ever seen for total cost of living in Florida, ranks Florida somewhere in the middle. This one has FLA 24th:

https://247wallst.com/state/how-the-...to%20inflation.

I've lived in Tampa, St. Pete, Bradenton, Venice, & Boca Raton, & I disagree w/ the OP...FLA is still affordable overall, if you are smart & frugal. If you are not, the OP's post is accurate.

[jcp123]

Freedom is relative.

I want a place where a gay married couple can defend their legal marijuana fields with assault rifles.

That freedom isn’t Florida. Or anywhere I’ve lived.

Slab City looks better day by day.

[bmw335xi]

Originally Posted by sinatras

Exorbitant auto insurance prices
Exorbitant property insurance prices
Exorbitant real estate prices
Exorbitant rental prices
Exorbitant roof prices
Exorbitant grocery prices
Exorbitant gas prices
and now exorbitant ELECTRIC BILLS due to the unrelenting heat and runaway utility company rate hikes!!!!!!!!!

People with 2000-square foot homes, who keep their AC set at 76, are getting 400-700 dollar electric bills in Tampa!

Next up: a $50 tax to go to the beach!

Complaining about cost of living and then using a 2,000 square foot home as the standard is hilarious lol. I have friends in California making $200k and having to live with a roommate.

Bottom line is if you are not happy where you are, get up and do something about it. Some people live to complain though.

[NSHL10]

Guess you will have to sell your places in Paris and Maui lol. Your family must really having your sunshine personality at the family gatherings!

[gatorlyn]

Originally Posted by jcp123

Freedom is relative.

I want a place where a gay married couple can defend their legal marijuana fields with assault rifles.

That freedom isn’t Florida. Or anywhere I’ve lived.

Slab City looks better day by day.

Yup, while their surrogate was able to get an abortion when the gay couple could not get their insurance to cover the costs, which allowed her to go back to regularly protesting against illegal immigration.

[sinatras]

Originally Posted by beach43ofus

Every expense is controllable in FLA, & if you are smart & frugal, you'll have costs like ours...

Through 5 yrs in our current home, our FLA electric bill averages $125/month for a 3,000 sq ft home.

Our property insurance is $1,250 (flood would add $600 more), so $1,850, but we do carry the highest deductible.

Every list I've ever seen for total cost of living in Florida, ranks Florida somewhere in the middle. This one has FLA 24th:

https://247wallst.com/state/how-the-...to%20inflation.

I've lived in Tampa, St. Pete, Bradenton, Venice, & Boca Raton, & I disagree w/ the OP...FLA is still affordable overall, if you are smart & frugal. If you are not, the OP's post is accurate.

Cost of living in Florida varies by city, by utility company, by county etc.

You may have a $125 bill for a 3,000 square foot home, but I have a $400 bill for a 2,000 square foot home in Tampa, after Tampa Electric raised electric rates this year by SIXTY TWO PERCENT.

https://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/20...20four%20years.

BUT!

You don't have to believe me.

You can call Tampa Electric and ask for the electric bills last month for an address, and when they tell you $300, 400, 500, 700, you can come back here and post an apology.

Call them and ask them what the bill last month was for Meter Number 1000045101. That's one of my rentals. 1750 sq foot home. Thermostat kept at 76.

I'll wait.

HINT: The number starts with a 4!!!!!!!

[Corrie22]

"The price of natural gas, which is used to generate electricity, was three times higher in 2022 than it was in 2020, leading to increased uncollected fuel costs. Because Tampa Electric and other utilities across Florida and the U.S. use natural gas as a fuel to help generate electricity, prices are being impacted nationwide."

"The cost of fuel will be about one-third of a residential customer's bill and is passed through to customers with no mark up from the utility. Utilities adjust fuel and capacity costs annually, typically in January. However, when costs are expected to change more than 10 percent, utilities can request an additional adjustment."

https://www.tampaelectric.com/compan...boutyourrates/

"The price of natural gas tripled between 2020 and 2022 due to global and economic conditions. Although TECO paid fuel and storm expenses upfront, Tampa Electric waited until early this year to make this request, to help mitigate the impact on customer bills"

[sinatras]

Originally Posted by Corrie22

"The price of natural gas, which is used to generate electricity, was three times higher in 2022 than it was in 2020, leading to increased uncollected fuel costs. Because Tampa Electric and other utilities across Florida and the U.S. use natural gas as a fuel to help generate electricity, prices are being impacted nationwide."

"The cost of fuel will be about one-third of a residential customer's bill and is passed through to customers with no mark up from the utility. Utilities adjust fuel and capacity costs annually, typically in January. However, when costs are expected to change more than 10 percent, utilities can request an additional adjustment."

https://www.tampaelectric.com/compan...boutyourrates/

"The price of natural gas tripled between 2020 and 2022 due to global and economic conditions. Although TECO paid fuel and storm expenses upfront, Tampa Electric waited until early this year to make this request, to help mitigate the impact on customer bills"

Thank you! I will make sure to share this info. w/ everyone who used to pay $200 summer electric bills in Tampa and now pay close to $400 (or over $400 considering this record-setting hot summer in Tampa).

I'm sure this info. will make them feel much better!

Next summer I'm sure there will be more good reasons to jack up the bills to $600! Why don't we see if we can inch close to $1,000 summer electric bills???

[Lillie767]

Originally Posted by sinatras

Thank you! I will make sure to share this info. w/ everyone who used to pay $200 summer electric bills in Tampa and now pay close to $400 (or over $400 considering this record-setting hot summer in Tampa).

I'm sure this info. will make them feel much better!

Next summer I'm sure there will be more good reasons to jack up the bills to $600! Why don't we see if we can inch close to $1,000 summer electric bills???

Well, this is still cheaper than buying oil for a furnace in the winter in Michigan.

[beach43ofus]

Originally Posted by sinatras

Cost of living in Florida varies by city, by utility company, by county etc.

You may have a $125 bill for a 3,000 square foot home, but I have a $400 bill for a 2,000 square foot home in Tampa, after Tampa Electric raised electric rates this year by SIXTY TWO PERCENT.

https://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/20...20four%20years.

BUT!

You don't have to believe me.

You can call Tampa Electric and ask for the electric bills last month for an address, and when they tell you $300, 400, 500, 700, you can come back here and post an apology.

Call them and ask them what the bill last month was for Meter Number 1000045101. That's one of my rentals. 1750 sq foot home. Thermostat kept at 76.

I'll wait.

HINT: The number starts with a 4!!!!!!!

This says TECO increased prices by an avg of 11% so it your went up 62%, somebody may be stealing electricity from you, or there's some other issue going on. Utilities don't increase rates by 62% year to year, the oversight commission won't allow that.

https://www.baynews9.com/fl/tampa/ne...%20pay%20today.

I strongly suggest calling TECO and having them do a free energy audit of your place/s to see where you are losing energy from.

You are in a unique situation, not reflective of life in the free state of Florida. Good luck!