Florida recently experienced exceptionally cold weather that caused widespread impacts, including freezing temperatures recorded across much of the state.
The city of Leesburg now must increase natural gas and electricity rates following the historic freeze that caused more than $3.3 million in losses. The city operates a not-for-profit public utility and adjust rates if fuel prices exceed budget estimates to fund daily operations.
City officials said natural gas prices spiked dramatically during the extreme cold. Under normal conditions, fuel costs around $3 per dekatherm, but during the freeze, prices surged to more than $50 per dekatherm.
Utilities across the U.S. have been raising rates in response to higher fuel costs and other pressures, with rate trackers showing many gas and electric providers adjusting rates starting in 2025 and 2026 to recover costs. This national trend reflects how utilities often pass higher wholesale fuel costs onto customers.
Source: WFTV 9 News