Poll: 3 in 4 Florida voters say electricity costs are too high

By Florida Politics

'Floridians are not asking for a philosophical debate about energy. They are asking why their bill keeps going up.'

Florida voters may disagree on plenty, but a new poll suggests there is broad agreement on one thing: They are paying too much for electricity.

A statewide survey of 1,000 registered voters found that 3 out of 4 —75% — say electricity costs in Florida are too high. Only 21% feel rates are about right, and just 1% think electricity is too cheap.

That frustration cuts across party lines. Seventy-nine percent of Democrats, 76% of independents and 71% of Republicans all say electricity costs are too high.

The concern is not limited to one demographic. Eighty percent of women and 70% of men say electricity is too expensive. Among voters under 45, the number climbs to 86%. Even among those 65 and older — the group least likely to find costs too high — 61% say they are paying too much.

When asked what should matter most as Florida plans for its future electricity needs, voters put affordability at the top of the list.

Seventy-eight percent chose keeping costs low for customers, followed by 60% who selected reliability. Clean or renewable energy was cited by 33%, while 9% chose energy independence.

Cost ranked first across the political spectrum, with 80% of independents, 79% of Republicans and 76% of Democrats selecting it as a top priority. When asked separately about how their own utility company should plan for future needs, 76% again chose keeping costs low.

Younger voters were particularly focused on affordability, with 86% of those under 45 selecting cost control as a top state energy priority. Eighty-two percent of women said the same.

“Floridians are not asking for a philosophical debate about energy,” said Dawn Shirreffs, Florida Director of the Environmental Defense Fund. “They are asking why their bill keeps going up, and they expect the people they elect to have an answer.”

The poll suggests these concerns may follow voters into the voting booth.

Seventy-two percent said they would be more likely to support a candidate for state office who supports requiring utility regulators to choose lower-cost energy options before approving new power plants or rate increases. That includes 42% who said it would make them much more likely to back a candidate. Fewer than one in ten said it would make them less likely to do so.

The survey of 1,000 registered Florida voters was conducted July 13-15 using a random sample of the Florida voter file. The margin of error for the full sample is approximately plus or minus 3.1 percentage points at the 95% confidence level.

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