Sunprint
The short answer
Most high JEA bills come from four things. The fuel charge changes every month with JEA's fuel costs, and in spring 2026 it jumped by the most JEA's rules allow two months in a row. Every kWh above 1,000 costs more than the first 1,000. Jacksonville's winters bring real heating bills that South Florida never sees. And JEA has raised rates three times since April 2025, most recently on October 1, 2026.
JEA is a city-owned utility, so its rates are set by the JEA board, not by the Florida Public Service Commission, which only reviews how the rates are structured.
A fuel charge that moves every month
Since December 2021, JEA has reset its fuel charge every month instead of once a year, so your bill rises and falls with what JEA pays for fuel and purchased energy. Natural gas is a significant part of JEA's fuel mix. To soften spikes, JEA hedges its gas purchases and limits any month-over-month increase in the fuel charge to 20 percent.
JEA's fuel charge for 1,000 kWh, month by month
January 2025 to October 2026, as published by JEA
Source: JEA's posted monthly fuel rates. The charge rose 20 percent in March 2026 and 20 percent again in April, the most its limit allows each time.
So the same 1,000 kWh cost $35.90 in fuel on a November 2025 bill and $59.68 on an April 2026 bill, a difference of about $24 with no change in how you used power. If a spring 2026 bill surprised you, this is the likely reason. For October 2026, JEA has set it at $43.26.
The tier at 1,000 kWh
JEA added a tiered electric rate in October 2025. Since October 1, 2026, the residential energy charge is 7.815 cents for each of the first 1,000 kWh in a month and 9.705 cents for every kWh above that, on top of a $21.00 basic monthly charge. JEA says the tiers are meant to keep bills more affordable for customers who use less. For big users, they do the opposite: every kWh above 1,000 costs 1.89 cents more.
With October 2026's fuel charge added, here is what the current rate means for a bill:
| Used in the month | Before taxes and fees | Each extra kWh costs |
|---|---|---|
| 1,000 kWh | $142.41 | 12.1 cents |
| 1,500 kWh | $212.57 | 14.0 cents |
| 2,000 kWh | $282.72 | 14.0 cents |
| 2,500 kWh | $352.88 | 14.0 cents |
The average cost per kWh hardly moves as usage rises, because the $21.00 basic charge is spread over more kWh. What changes is the price of each extra kWh: about 12.1 cents up to 1,000, then about 14.0 cents. That is the number that matters when you decide whether to run the pool pump longer or set the thermostat lower.
City and county taxes and fees come on top, and they vary: inside Duval County, JEA lists a 3 percent franchise fee, a 2.5641 percent gross receipts tax and a 10 percent public service tax, while Atlantic Beach, Baldwin, Orange Park, and the parts of Clay and St. Johns counties JEA serves each have their own mix. Homes pay no sales tax on electricity.
North Florida winters
Jacksonville has real winters by Florida standards. NOAA's climate normals for 1991 to 2020 give Jacksonville about 1,228 heating degree days a year, a measure of how much heating the weather calls for, against about 104 in Miami.
Most of that falls in December through February. Many homes heat with a heat pump backed by electric heat strips, and the U.S. Department of Energy says electric resistance heat needs at least twice as much energy as a heat pump. A cold week can push a JEA bill past 1,000 kWh in winter just as air conditioning does in summer, and on JEA's tiered rate those extra kWh cost more.
JEA rate changes, 2021 to 2026
The JEA board approved the October 2026 increase on June 30, 2026, citing rising operating costs and investments to serve Northeast Florida's growth. Before it took effect, JEA estimated about $3.02 more a month at 1,000 kWh. The rates JEA posted add $7.53 to the base part of a 1,000 kWh bill, before the fuel charge, so check your own October bill against the new rates. According to the Florida Times-Union, JEA has raised its base rate every year since 2021, mainly because of the high cost of power it agreed in 2008 to buy from Georgia's Plant Vogtle nuclear plant, and it plans a natural gas plant of up to $1.57 billion to replace its aging Northside Unit 3.
Is JEA expensive?
Not by Florida standards. The Florida Municipal Electric Association compares every utility's bill each month. For August 2026, its figures for 1,000 kWh were:
Source: Florida Municipal Electric Association, electric bill comparison, August 2026. City utility figures include payments to the city; investor-owned figures include typical franchise fees. JEA's figure is before local taxes and fees.
Those figures predate the October 2026 increase. At the new rates, with October's fuel charge, 1,000 kWh comes to $142.41 before local taxes and fees. Even so, a JEA kWh is priced close to the average for a Florida city utility and below the big investor-owned utilities. When a JEA bill is high, the cause is usually how much power the home uses, the month's fuel charge, or both.
What lowers a JEA bill
- A free energy audit. JEA offers free on-site energy audits for homes, which point to where your kWh are going.
- Efficiency rebates. JEA runs rebate programs that help with the upfront cost of efficient appliances and equipment.
- Keep usage under 1,000 kWh where you can. On the tiered rate, the kWh you trim above 1,000 are worth more than the ones below it.
- Check the bill estimator. JEA's online bill estimator shows what a rate change means for your own usage.
- Payment help. JEA offers payment arrangements and works with local nonprofits that help with utility bills.
For causes that apply at every Florida utility, such as heat strips, estimated readings and billing days, see our guide to why Florida electric bills run high.
When solar fits a high JEA bill
Solar works differently at JEA than at most Florida utilities. JEA credits the power your panels send to the grid at its fuel rate, not the retail rate, so the value comes from the power you use at home as it's made, which offsets both the energy charge and the fuel charge. A home that uses a lot of power during the day, or pairs solar with a battery, gets the most out of it. Our JEA solar guide covers the credit and what a given bill needs. The calculator below starts with JEA selected.
Your estimate in three steps
- Enter your billYour ZIP code, your utility and last month's bill.
- See your estimateA yearly savings range based on your utility's rates and Florida sun.
- Choose what's nextAsk for a quote call if you want real pricing, or just keep the number.
See what solar could save you
It takes about a minute. You don't need a site visit, a commitment or a sales call to see your number.
Common questions
Why is my JEA bill so high this month?
Usually one of three things. JEA's fuel charge changes every month, and it can rise by up to 20 percent from one month to the next, as it did in March and April 2026. On JEA's residential rate, every kWh above 1,000 costs 1.89 cents more. And a hot summer month or a cold snap in winter adds kWh. Compare this bill's kWh and fuel charge with the same month last year.
Why is JEA so expensive?
By Florida standards it isn't. In the Florida Municipal Electric Association's August 2026 comparison, a 1,000 kWh JEA bill was $134.44, just under the $135.31 average for city-owned utilities and below the $154.22 average for investor-owned ones. JEA bills feel high because of usage, a fuel charge that moves monthly, and base rate increases in 2025 and 2026. At October 2026 rates, 1,000 kWh costs $142.41 before taxes and fees.
Did JEA raise rates in 2026?
Yes. New electric, water and sewer rates took effect October 1, 2026, after a board vote on June 30. The residential basic monthly charge went from $19.25 to $21.00, and the energy charge from 7.237 to 7.815 cents per kWh for the first 1,000 kWh and from 8.987 to 9.705 cents above that. At 1,000 kWh, that adds $7.53 to the base part of the bill, before fuel. JEA had estimated about $3.02 a month.
Why does my JEA fuel charge change every month?
Since December 2021, JEA has set its fuel charge monthly to match what it pays for fuel and purchased energy, instead of fixing it for a year. JEA hedges its natural gas purchases to limit swings and caps any month-over-month increase at 20 percent. When fuel costs fall, the charge falls the next month.
What is JEA's rate per kWh?
Since October 1, 2026, JEA's residential energy charge is 7.815 cents per kWh for the first 1,000 kWh and 9.705 cents above that, plus a $21.00 basic monthly charge. Add the monthly fuel charge, 4.326 cents in October 2026, and a kWh costs about 12.1 cents below 1,000 and about 14.0 cents above, before local taxes and fees.
Why is my JEA bill so high in winter?
Jacksonville gets far more cold weather than South Florida: NOAA's climate normals give it about 1,228 heating degree days a year, against about 104 in Miami. Heat pumps lean on electric heat strips on cold mornings, and those use far more power. On JEA's tiered rate, winter kWh above 1,000 also cost more.
Does my JEA bill include water and sewer?
If JEA provides your water and sewer, yes, but they are separate charges with their own rates. New water and sewer rates also apply from October 1, 2026; JEA estimates about $5.82 more a month for a residential customer using 6,000 gallons. This page covers only the electric part.
Who sets JEA's electric rates?
The JEA board of directors. JEA is a city-owned utility, so the Florida Public Service Commission does not set its rates; the Commission's authority over city utilities covers how rates are structured. JEA files its tariff with the Commission.
Can solar lower my JEA bill?
It can, but mostly through the power you use at home as your panels make it, because JEA credits power sent back to the grid at its fuel rate rather than the full retail rate. Our JEA solar guide explains the credit and sizing.
Related guides
- Solar for JEA customers: how the fuel-rate credit works
- Why is my electric bill so high in Florida?
- Solar in North Florida
- Solar battery backup in Florida
- How much solar for a $300 to $700 Florida electric bill?
Rates here are JEA's residential electric rates effective October 1, 2026, with October's fuel charge. The fuel charge changes every month. Sources: JEA rates, taxes and fees, and monthly fuel rates · JEA electric tariff, residential rate and fuel charge sheets (PDF) · JEA on the October 2026 rate adjustment · JEA on average bill impacts · JEA on the 2025 rate adjustments · NOAA U.S. climate normals, 1991 to 2020 · Florida Municipal Electric Association bill comparison, August 2026 (PDF) · Florida Times-Union on the June 2026 vote · U.S. Department of Energy on resistance heat · Florida Statutes 366.04. Reviewed October 2026.
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