LAKELAND, Fla. — Lakeland Electric customers will see higher fuel charges starting April 1, after a late-January cold snap sent natural gas prices soaring and drained millions from the utility’s reserves.
City commissioners voted 6–1 Monday to raise the monthly fuel charge from $47 to $62 per 1,000 kilowatt-hours for April, May and June. The increase will add about $18 to the bill of a typical household using 1,200 kilowatt-hours a month.
Utility officials emphasized the increase is not a base-rate hike and is not designed to generate profit. Fuel costs are passed directly to customers with no markup and fluctuate with market conditions…