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Duke Energy tells Brooksville council customers will see bill cuts; residents press company on past hikes and blackout notices
Summary
Duke Energy managers told the Brooksville City Council that seasonal adjustments and removal of storm-recovery charges will cut typical residential bills by about $33 in February and another $11 in March; residents asked why local bills rose sharply during 2024 storms and why some schools were warned about potential rolling blackouts.
Duke Energy representatives briefed the Brooksville City Council in February 2026 on recent rate changes and local customer concerns, saying the company expects an average residential monthly reduction of about $33 in February and an additional $11 in March compared with January bills.
Galen Holloway, Duke Energy's government and community relations manager for the North Coastal region, told the council the reductions reflect the removal of storm-recovery charges tied to the 2024 storm season and routine seasonal fuel-charge adjustments. "Beginning this month, residential customers can expect an approximately $33 reduction on their monthly bills when compared to January," Holloway said. He added that March decreases reflect seasonal reassessments of fuel charges.
The council and several residents pressed Duke for transparency about why some Brooksville accounts surged more than nearby Hernando County bills. One resident offered bill comparisons showing similar homes with substantially different totals and asked why Brooksville customers appeared to pay considerably more. Holloway said storm-recovery fees for costs incurred inside Florida are set by the Florida Public Service Commission and allocated across Duke's Florida service territory, not by local invoice alone, and that detailed breakdowns appear on customer bills.
Residents also asked about notices that schools had received warning of possible rolling blackouts during a recent cold snap. Mike Mangan, the company's account executive for the City of Brooksville, said the company issued a "soft appeal" asking customers to conserve during peak hours and that no rotating outages were planned or executed. "There was no messaging about rolling blackouts," Mangan said, calling the school notices a miscommunication and describing demand-response and standby-generation programs the company uses to avoid outages.
Duke representatives offered to return for a council workshop and to provide materials that show line-item bill charges and the effect of estimated-billing plans. Council members accepted the offer and suggested quarterly briefings to help residents understand bills and potential conservation or reliability programs.
What happens next: Duke Energy said it will provide a bill breakdown and is available for follow-up briefings; the council encouraged staff to coordinate a workshop for residents on bill components and demand-response programs.
