Millions of Americans in Florida could see changes to their utility bills after Governor Ron DeSantis signed a new utility law on June 11. The new law is designed to stop certain extra fees, known as surcharges, that some city-run utility companies charge customers.
The changes will not happen immediately because the law will take effect on July 1, 2027, as per Florida Politics. The law applies to municipal utilities, which are utility services operated by cities and towns. It covers water, sewer, natural gas, and electricity services provided by municipal utilities.
One of the biggest changes is that city-run water and sewer utilities will no longer be allowed to charge a 25% surcharge to customers who live outside city limits, according to Florida Politics. A surcharge is an extra fee added on top of a customer's normal utility bill.
The law also says a utility cannot charge the extra fee if the treatment plant providing the service is located inside the city receiving the water service. The legislation came after concerns involving North Miami Beach and Miami Gardens, where residents were paying higher water bills because of a surcharge arrangement.
The new law is expected to reduce utility costs for many Floridians who have been paying extra fees on water and sewer services simply because they lived outside city boundaries, as per Florida Politics. For customers affected by the current surcharge system, the law could mean lower utility bills once the changes begin in 2027.
