OUC will ask its board Dec. 15 to cut its fuel rate, saving a typical home about $5 a month from April 2027. Here is who it covers and how to comment.

OUC plans to lower its electric fuel rate next spring. The cut would save a typical home customer about $5 a month, the utility said in a release Thursday, Nov. 5.

OUC staff will put the proposal to the Board of Commissioners on Tuesday, Dec. 15. If the board approves it, the lower rate takes effect in April 2027.

The numbers

OUC gave these figures in its release:

Proposed
Typical home bill, 1,000 kWh a month about $128.85
Monthly saving for a typical home about $5
Gap below the average bill at OUC’s Florida peer utilities about $7.62
Savings across all OUC electric customers about $3.3 million a month
Start date, if approved April 2027

Commercial customers would also pay less. OUC said the saving for a business depends on how much power it uses.

The change is to the fuel rate, the part of the bill that covers the cost of the fuel OUC buys to make electricity.

“At a time when families are paying more for just about everything, we know every dollar matters,” said Clint Bullock, OUC’s general manager and CEO. He said the cut reflects the utility’s work on “managing costs responsibly, passing savings along to our customers.”

Who it covers

Not every Orlando address gets its power from OUC. The city-owned utility serves nearly 300,000 customers in Orlando, St. Cloud and parts of unincorporated Orange and Osceola counties, its release said. Duke Energy serves much of the rest of Orange County. The name on your electric bill tells you which one you have. Our power outages page lists both utilities’ phone numbers and outage maps.

How to have a say

OUC’s board sets its rates, and its meetings are open to the public. The Dec. 15 meeting starts at 2 p.m. in the seventh-floor Commission Chambers of Reliable Plaza, 100 W. Anderson St., according to OUC’s commission page.

On that page, OUC says:

  • Anyone can speak for up to three minutes by filling out a speaker request form.
  • Written comments of up to 500 words can be emailed in advance, no later than 1 p.m. on the meeting day.
  • Each meeting is livestreamed.

Two other public sessions come first. The board meets at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 10, at the same place. At 2 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 11, OUC holds a public workshop on its Electric Integrated Resource Plan, which sets out how the utility plans to meet growth in demand.

What it means for you

  • If OUC is your electric provider, your bill should drop by about $5 a month from April 2027, assuming the board approves the cut on Dec. 15 and you use about 1,000 kWh a month.
  • Nothing changes before April. Bills this winter stay at current rates.
  • Use more or less power and the saving changes with it.
  • If you need help with a bill now, OUC lists payment options and assistance programs at OUC.com/assistance, and rebates and efficiency programs at OUC.com/waystosave.
  • Duke Energy customers are not affected by this proposal.

We will update this story after the Dec. 15 vote.