Manatee County Residents Protest Sky-High Electric Bills

0:00Folks in Manatee County, Florida, hit the streets Tuesday, rallying outside Senator Jim Boyd's office in Braydenton over sky-high electric bills. They're calling out utilities like Tampa Electric, Duke Energy, and Florida Power and Light for some of the steepest rates in the nation. New numbers from the U.S. Energy Information Administration backed them up, showing customers from those three companies shaled out three of the top. Ten highest bills nationwide last year. Bills are feeling the squeeze hard, with families saying their bills have doubled in just one year, forcing them to scrape by paycheck to paycheck. While corporate profits keep climbing, utility reps pointed this year's brutal hurricane season for the hikes, but they promise relief soon, with a temporary storm charge dropping off. Bills in September to ease the pain. Organizers from the Hillsboro Affordable Energy Coalition are pushing state leaders like Senator Boyd for real reforms to rein in those profits and add more oversight.

1:02We reached out to his office, but haven't heard back yet, so the pressure keeps building for change that hits families where it counts. That wraps Tampa Bay News today, brought to you with AI.