More than 6,580 Tampa Electric customers have signed an online petition calling for legal action against the utility, citing concerns about significant energy rate increases in recent years.

The petition urges Governor Ron DeSantis, Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson, and Senator Rick Scott to investigate Tampa Electric’s pricing practices. Petition organizer Robert Littlejohn questioned whether prices have risen without corresponding improvements to service or infrastructure.

According to a Food & Water Watch analysis, the average Tampa Electric customer bill will be 82% higher by January compared to five years ago—an increase of $939 annually. A separate WUSF report found that Tampa Electric residential customers paid the highest bills in Florida and the second-highest in the country among large utilities last June.

Multiple petition signers described their bills doubling or tripling. One customer reported their average monthly bill increasing from $200 between 2018-2024 to over $500 this year, while others said they now view electricity as a luxury rather than a necessity.

Tampa Electric and the petition organizer did not respond to requests for comment.

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