A promise to even out your power bill in the summer— does that mean no more $200 surprises?
"I couldn't believe it I was like what!?"
[WEB EXTRA: More information on budget billing ]
Jacquelyn Dienst recalls looking at her bill from Florida Power and Light after moving into this home.
Dienst is enrolled in "Budget Billing" which promises to give customers more predictable electric bills by averaging out your energy costs over the year that way, you pay similar amounts each month.
But what Dienst got instead was sticker shock when her bill went from roughly $160 to $180 to over $200 a month.
"I'm thinking how? How can it be that high? I know it's a little bit more when you move into a house I expected that but $200 I almost fell to the floor," Dienst says. "They said your actual usage was $98 and 60 something cents but I was being billed $212."
So Local 6 asked Florida Power and Light about the Budget Billing program.
"When customers enroll in Budget Billing, we determine their bills by looking at their average usage during the previous 12 months," FPL told Local 6. "In cases where the customer does not have 12 months of usage history, we look at the 12-month average usage for the premise."
So because Dienst didn't have a 12-month history of usage at this home, her bill is based on the usage of the family who lived here previously.
"I know there was a lot of adults in the house and from what I understand there may have been people with medical equipment so their bills were kind of high," Dienst said.
Consumer Reporter Eryka Washington asked, "Did they tell you that or did you know this when you moved in?
"No. I had already been on it so I expected it to be still a nice flat rate but it sure wasn't on my budget. It was a flat right just not mine," Dienst said.
Dienst makes sure everything is turned off to try to save money but says budget billing is not in her budget.
"Ask as many questions as absolutely possible, find out exactly what you're getting into," Dienst said.