Florida's largest electric utility just opened a new digital lifeline for residents watching their budgets stretch thinner by the month. Florida Power & Light is launching an online customer service assistance center designed to help Floridians struggling to keep up with energy bills and other essential household expenses.

A Direct Message From FPL

"When budgets are tight, it can be hard to know where to turn," said Dawn Nichols, FPL's vice president of customer service, in a video announcing the new initiative. "At FPL, we're here to help. We can connect you with programs and resources that can help you pay your energy bill now and tips to help you save energy in the future as well as community resources to help pay for other needs."

Why Florida's Energy Bills Run So High

Here's the paradox at the heart of this story: Florida doesn't even crack the top 25 for electric rates nationally, ranking just 28th highest. Yet the state ranks fourth in the country for actual electricity consumption, with households burning through an average of 1,166 kilowatt hours per month — well above the national average of 875. The primary culprit is no mystery in a state where air conditioning runs practically year-round.

Who This Program Is Really For

Nichols told USA TODAY Network-Florida that the new online assistance center was specifically built to help the growing number of Floridians "who might be living paycheck to paycheck and need a little help" — acknowledging that high consumption combined with everyday financial strain creates a genuinely difficult squeeze for many households.

The Numbers Behind Florida's Financial Strain

The scale of that strain is significant. While 12% of Florida households fall under the federal government's official poverty threshold, another 34% sit just above it in a state of ongoing financial hardship, according to the United Way of Florida's 2026 ALICE households report.

Understanding the ALICE Threshold

ALICE — short for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed — describes working households where adults hold jobs but still don't earn enough to cover basic living expenses in their local county. Combined, the 47% of Florida households living in poverty or below the ALICE threshold exceeds the 41% national average, ranking Florida the fifth-worst among all states and the District of Columbia, according to the United Way's report, published June 10.

"Households below the ALICE threshold don't have enough income to afford their basic needs," the report stated. "They're forced to make impossible choices like deciding whether to pay for utilities or a tank of gas; whether to buy food or fill a prescription."

How FPL's New Assistance Center Works

This is precisely the gap FPL's new online assistance center is designed to address, according to Nichols. Available at fpl.com/assistance, the platform lets customers log into their personal accounts to check whether they qualify for payment extensions, and to explore what specific assistance options are available to their household.

The Programs on Offer

The assistance center also connects customers to several existing support programs, including:

• FPL Care to Share: An initiative funded jointly by FPL employees and customers, providing financial support to eligible households — including covering repair or replacement costs for customer-owned electrical equipment, like a meter box, when that equipment is preventing FPL from safely restoring power to a home.
• FPL Saving Steps: A program offering practical tips for reducing future energy bills. Nichols offered a concrete example in the announcement video: "Did you know that just by washing clothes with cold water, the average family of four can save over $160 a year? In addition to learning ways to save, income-qualified customers can also earn a $200 bill credit to apply towards a future bill − support that helps now while building habits that last."
• LIHEAP: The assistance center also links directly to the Florida Department of Commerce's Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, a federally funded initiative that helps income-qualified families cover home heating and cooling costs. Approved LIHEAP funds are applied directly to a household's energy utility account.

A Partnership Rooted in Shared Data

Melissa Nelson, CEO of United Way of Florida, praised the collaboration behind the new initiative. "Having a corporate partner like FPL is exceptionally valuable to the work of United Way," Nelson told USA TODAY Network-Florida.

Responding to a Widespread Need

"By using our ALICE Report as a guideline, FPL is actively working to respond to the nearly 34 percent of Florida's population with an income above the poverty line, working but still struggling to make ends meet," Nelson said. "Often, for these families, it is an unexpected expense that can cause the hard decision of paying rent or utilities, buying gas or groceries." She added that United Way of Florida and its local chapters statewide encourage broader use of the ALICE Report to improve outcomes for co-workers and neighbors, noting that FPL's new programs reflect a genuine recognition of these ongoing challenges.

FPL's Reach Across the State

FPL stands as Florida's largest electric utility, providing power to an estimated 12 million residents statewide — a scale that makes even incremental improvements to customer assistance meaningful across a substantial portion of the state's population.

A Permanent Fixture Going Forward

Nichols described the new online assistance center as part of FPL's broader commitment to "continuous improvements to meet customers' needs," confirming the online service will remain available on an ongoing basis "from here on out."

"When our customers need help, we want to make it as easy as possible," she said.