FPL remains committed to helping support customers experiencing hardship during the coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic. As we have since mid-March, we’re continuing to offer payment extensions, waive late fees and connect customers with available financial assistance. We will continue working closely with customers to do everything we can to avoid turning the lights off for nonpayment, which is and has always been a last resort.
June 1, 2020, letter to customers from FPL President and CEO, Eric Silagy
I hope you and your family continue to be safe and well amid the ongoing disruptions associated with the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. While it may be the last thing on your mind, hurricane season is here. We’ve been through many storms together and, through it all, we’ve come out stronger. However, this year presents the unique challenge of potentially dealing with a hurricane and a global pandemic at the same time.
As Floridians, each of us has a fundamental responsibility to prepare for hurricane season. It should be a point of pride and as synonymous with living in Florida as soaking up the sun on a sandy beach or visiting a world-class amusement park. The preparations we make now, before a hurricane forms — let alone threatens our state — will make a meaningful difference in how we get through a storm together.
We’ve all seen the shortages of supplies this pandemic has caused and you can imagine they could be magnified once a storm is bearing down on us. And with travel restrictions and social distancing, we’ll need to reevaluate what a smart evacuation plan looks like. Bottom line, waiting until a hurricane is on our doorstep to prepare isn’t going to cut it.
I want you to know that Florida Power & Light Company’s commitment to serve you before, during and after a storm remains unchanged. We are ready for hurricane season and our employees continue to actively prepare for responding to a storm amid COVID-19.
FPL is prepared to respond during a pandemic
As part of our commitment to you, FPL has continued our work to build a stronger, smarter and more storm-resilient energy grid in the nearly 15 years since Hurricane Wilma tore through our state. These enhancements tangibly benefited customers during hurricanes Irma and Matthew in recent years and shaved many days off the restoration effort. Importantly, these enhancements will help us restore power safely during a pandemic.
Additionally, FPL’s fleet of modern, state-of-the-art power plants requires significantly fewer people to operate than the older power plants they replaced — minimizing concerns about having large numbers of essential employees working in groups. And, in the case of FPL’s two dozen solar power plants, we don’t need anyone to operate them at all. While our decision 20 years ago to modernize our power plants was not done with a global pandemic in mind, being able to generate electricity with fewer people physically located at the plants is advantageous.
Challenges with restoring power during a pandemic
While FPL is more prepared than ever to respond to a hurricane, you should expect that the pandemic will undoubtedly create extraordinary challenges that may ultimately delay restoration. During major hurricanes, we typically bring in tens of thousands of out-of-state workers from across the country to help us restore power. Given the current travel restrictions and guidance from health officials, it is unlikely we will be able to amass a restoration workforce of that size and with less people it simply takes longer to restore power. In fact, during recent storms, utilities in other parts of the country have already encountered this very challenge.
While the conditions we are facing have changed, our commitment to you has not: we will work around the clock and we won’t stop until everyone’s power is restored. Just as I have no doubt that we will overcome COVID-19, I am confident that Floridians will rise to the occasion if a hurricane comes our way this year.
Getting Florida back up and running safely and as quickly as possible after a hurricane requires all of us to approach this season with a new mindset and a renewed sense of pride in being prepared. So, please take the time now to learn more about how you can prepare for hurricane season.
Sincerely,
Eric Silagy
President and CEO, Florida Power & Light Company
May 20, 2020, letter to customers from FPL President and CEO, Eric Silagy
As Florida slowly reopens and people start getting back to work, I want you to know that Florida Power & Light Company understands just how disruptive the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic continues to be. As neighbors and fellow Floridians, we’re in this together and FPL remains here to help, especially if you are experiencing hardship.
As I’ve said before, these unprecedented times call for exceptional measures. It’s why FPL implemented special crisis policies in mid-March and immediately suspended electrical disconnections while offering payment extensions and waiving late fees. And, it’s why these policies will remain in effect through June. FPL will continue to work with customers one-on-one as we prepare to carefully and thoughtfully transition back to our standard policies in July. We want to make sure we’re doing everything we can to support you – just as we always have – because turning off the lights due to non-payment remains a last resort.
If you are having trouble paying your bill, please take the time now to call us so we can develop a payment plan and help you avoid building up a large balance. We understand that everyone’s situation is different and we will work closely with you to create a plan that meets your needs while ensuring you are able to fulfill your personal commitment to your FPL balance. In addition to payment plans, FPL can connect you with financial assistance at the local, state and federal level while it’s still available. Please view available resources online or contact us directly at 800-226-3545.
As we enter the hot summer months, many of us will likely continue to spend more time inside our homes than normal. This means our air conditioners will be forced to work even harder and use even more energy to keep our homes cool. FPL has a number of free tools available – such as the mobile app, personalized energy dashboard and Energy Analyzer – to help you manage your energy usage. I encourage you to use these free tools and discover even more ways to save.
We realize that these are difficult and unsettling times and we are committed to doing our part to help you navigate the uncertainty while we continue to deliver the clean, reliable and affordable electricity you depend on. I know the last couple of months have not been easy and the weeks and months ahead will present many challenges, but I remain confident that we will overcome COVID-19 together and be stronger for it. I hope that you and your family continue to stay safe and well.
Sincerely,
Eric Silagy
President and CEO, Florida Power & Light Company
March 30, 2020, letter to customers from FPL President and CEO, Eric Silagy
I hope you and your family are safe and well.
As we continue to navigate the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis together, I wanted to share a bit of good news with you.
This week, we are taking the unprecedented step of asking the Florida Public Service Commission to allow us to fast-track a significant bill decrease beginning in May. Due to our efficiency and lower fuel prices, we have significantly reduced the amount of money we spend on fuel and plan to pass these savings on to you as soon as possible.
Normally, changes in fuel costs, whether savings or cost increases, are spread out over the balance of the year. However, our plan would give you the total annual savings in a single month’s bill. For the average residential customer who currently pays about $96 each month, this will result in a one-time decrease of nearly 25% on your May bill. Business customers will also see a significant one-time decrease in May.
Challenging times must be met with exceptional measures, and this unconventional and unprecedented action will provide you with the opportunity to save as much money as possible during this uncertain economic time.
Doing the right thing is a core value for FPL, which is why we will always do the right thing for our customers. From expanding our Care to Share® program and donating millions to local charities across the state, to suspending electrical disconnections, providing payment extensions and waiving late fees for customers in a hardship situation – policies that will remain in effect while Florida is under a state of emergency – FPL is committed to helping us all get through this difficult and unsettling time together.
Our focus on delivering clean, reliable and affordable electricity demands that we must continue working to improve the energy grid, particularly as hurricane season quickly approaches. This means, from a safe distance from you and other members of the community, our crews will still be out trimming trees, flying drones to assess equipment, putting power lines underground and installing new, stronger and more efficient facilities.
As fellow Floridians, we’re all in this together and you have my promise that we will continue to work safely and tirelessly to keep the lights on so you and your families have one less thing to worry about.
Sincerely,
Eric Silagy
President and CEO, Florida Power & Light Company
March 23, 2020, letter to customers from FPL President and CEO, Eric Silagy
As the coronavirus (COVID-19) situation intensifies, there are two very important things I want you to know:
We know this a difficult and unsettling time and as Floridians, neighbors, friends and family, we are in this together. If you are experiencing hardship as a result of COVID-19, FPL has resources available at FPL.com/Help, or we can point you to those available from federal, state and local authorities.
We have also implemented the same policies that we do during major crisis events and are suspending electrical disconnections, providing payment extensions and waiving certain late payment fees for customers in a hardship situation. Challenging times call for exceptional measures, and FPL is here to support our customers most in need.
FPL is also supporting communities throughout the state through our charitable foundation and, for those who can afford or want to help others who may need assistance, we encourage you to make a donation to our Care To Share® program. A gift of electricity can make a massive difference in someone’s life, especially during this challenging time. All contributions are distributed to the communities that we serve through a network of nonprofit human-service agencies, and there are no administrative fees so every dollar you donate truly makes a difference and may be tax-deductible.
Importantly, I want you to have confidence that FPL won’t stop delivering affordable, reliable power that you can count on day in, day out. We take very seriously our duty to serve you and understand the foundational role FPL plays in responding to the coronavirus challenge by providing the critical infrastructure and electricity that powers our state’s hospitals, health care facilities, emergency response centers and, of course, your homes and businesses.
Along with our investments in smart grid technology and modern generation equipment, we have extensive plans in place to ensure that we meet the energy needs of all customers and communities during these difficult times, while doing all we can to protect the health and safety of our team members as we power these essential operations.
In order to do this, you may continue to see FPL team members working in your communities, performing work such as tree trimming, executing undergrounding and hardening projects and even requesting access to your property to check on equipment. Please know that this work is essential to keeping our electric grid operating smoothly as we approach hurricane season, and support their efforts by practicing appropriate social distancing and know that they will extend the same courtesy to you.
Floridians are no strangers to difficult crises and I’m confident that, together, we will become even stronger from our current challenges. And through it all, FPL will stay focused on delivering you the affordable, reliable power that you have come to count on.
Sincerely,
Eric Silagy
President and CEO, Florida Power & Light Company
March 13, 2020, letter to customers from FPL President and CEO, Eric Silagy
As the coronavirus (COVID-19) situation unfolds, I want to share three simple words with you: We are ready. We urge you to be ready, too.
Our company has a strong track record of preparing for many kinds of emergencies, including a potential pandemic. We are taking the spread of this virus seriously and we urge our customers to do the same.
FPL prepares year-round for the unexpected to ensure we can continue to deliver the clean, affordable and reliable energy our customers expect. We have detailed, well established pandemic plans that we have put in action and there is no higher priority for us than the health, safety and physical well-being of our employees and customers.
Moreover, the investments we’ve made over the past decade in smart grid technology have helped us automate our system, preventing millions of power outages and providing superior reliability for our customers. We will continue to use technology and our smart grid capabilities to serve you with reliable power and self-service options throughout this situation.
Here are some things I’d like for you to know:
• We’re monitoring COVID-19 closely: As part of our standard preparedness protocol, we have been closely monitoring and assessing the impact of COVID-19 and urging our employees to follow recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization for protecting themselves and others from this virus.
• We’re implementing our plan: Just as we do with our hurricane plan, we have implemented our pandemic plan and are following our well-established procedures for ensuring continuity of service. This includes limiting access to our control centers to essential personnel only and putting various processes and procedures in place that are designed to limit the spread of the virus.
• We’re taking actions to protect our employees and others: Out of an abundance of caution and our commitment to protecting the health and safety of our employees and our customers, effectively immediately, we are temporarily suspending non-emergency in-home and in-business visits. If we need to interact with you or enter your home or business for an emergency, we will be practicing social distancing for your safety and the safety of our employees.
• We have mobile and online tools available for your convenience:
- Our cutting-edge, smart grid-powered Energy Manager and Energy Analyzer are both available online to help you manage your energy usage.
- FPL’s Mobile App is the easiest way to manage your bill or report an outage.
• Be aware of scammers: Scammers continue to target FPL customers, threatening disconnection of service and asking for immediate payment over the phone. We will never ask for your personal information over the phone or demand payment using money orders or gift cards. Protect yourself by learning how to spot a scam.
• We’re here to help: We know this is a difficult and unsettling time, but you are not alone. If you’re experiencing hardship as a result of COVID-19, FPL and federal, state and local authorities have resources available to help you. A good place to learn more is www.FPL.com/Help.
As with any quickly evolving situation, stay safe, stay informed, stay vigilant and be prepared. Please make sure you’re following the advice given by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) for stopping the spread of germs and viruses. There is a tremendous amount of misinformation being spread, particularly on the internet and through some social media channels, so please use trusted sources of information such as the CDC, World Health Organization or national news organizations to learn the latest information.
Just as we have done in the past, we will weather this storm and you have my personal commitment that we’re ready for whatever COVID-19 brings our way and all of us at FPL will continue to work hard every single day to deliver you affordable, reliable power you can count on.
Sincerely,
Eric Silagy
President and CEO, Florida Power & Light Company