TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) -- Gulf Power Co.'s rates are going up $3.86 a month for a typical residential customer in the western Florida Panhandle next month.
The Florida Public Service commission approved the new rate schedule on Monday. It's effective April 11.
The commission earlier agreed to let Gulf Power raise its base rates by $64.1 million a year. That's 63 percent of the $101.6 million sought by the Pensacola-based utility.
The $3.86 increase is for a customer using 1,000 kilowatt hours a month, which is about average.
It will raise the total bill, which includes other charges such as fuel expenses, by 3 percent to $126.53.
Gulf Power is owned by the Atlanta-based Southern Co. and serves more than 431,000 homes, businesses and other customers in eight Panhandle counties.
