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Residents press county on Florida Public Utilities billing and customer service; commissioners agree to send recording and letters
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Summary
At a Jackson County commission meeting residents described billing delays, high reconnection fees and poor call‑center response from Florida Public Utilities; the board voted to send a recording to regulators and to prepare letters urging improved local service and oversight.
Residents and county officials used a public‑comment and discussion item at the Jackson County Board of County Commissioners meeting to press Florida Public Utilities (FPU) for better customer service and clearer billing practices.
Staff told commissioners that FPU will host two customer care days in May and plans to install a kiosk at city hall to help customers make payments more quickly. But speakers from the public and several commissioners said those steps fall short of fixing systemic problems.
“My bill went from about $1.30 to $257,” said Kevin Sura, who said he is on a fixed income and struggled to understand why charges rose suddenly. Sura said he found the FPU building locked and questioned how the company is using local facilities.
BJ Walters described billing problems that included long gaps between bills, late fees, automatic drafts that nevertheless required hours on the phone to correct, and reconnection charges in the “$350 to $400” range. “They have to spend days without electricity before that gets turned back on,” Walters said.
County staff said FPU acknowledged service problems and intends the kiosk and additional customer care days to help; staff also said FPU provided informational postcards listing payment locations. Commissioners pressed staff to pursue stronger steps, including letters to the Florida Public Service Commission and to the legislature’s utilities committee.
One commissioner proposed sending an audio recording of the meeting to state regulators to highlight customer complaints; the board approved the motion. Commissioners also asked staff to draft letters expressing the board’s dissatisfaction with the level of local customer service and to request additional oversight and response from FPU.
The discussion did not produce any regulatory ruling; commissioners framed the action as an attempt to elevate local complaints to state oversight bodies and to secure better local access to account services and timely billing adjustments.
