Lakeland Electric Rate Selection Guide
Lakeland Electric is the third-largest municipal electric utility in Florida, serving about 136,500 customers in Polk County. It operates a 100% AMI smart-meter network with 12+ years of interval data, offering C&I customers interval analytics through the Brillion Load Profiler platform — though it has no Green Button, EDI, or public API support.
Lakeland Electric Rate Schedule Comparison
| Schedule | Type | Rate | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Service Business Demand | Commercial | $0.06494/kWh energy; $6.60/kW demand; $16.50/mo | Small commercial under 50 kW |
| General Service Demand | Commercial | $0.02110/kWh energy; $9.52/kW demand; $58.25/mo | Mid-size facilities 50–500 kW |
| General Service Large Demand | Industrial | $0.016349/kWh energy; $11.16/kW demand; $557/mo | Large industrial 500 kW+ |
| Large Shift to Save (TOU) | Industrial | On-peak $0.0358334 / off-peak $0.0068801 per kWh | 500 kW+ plants with shiftable load |
Market Overview
As a municipal utility, Lakeland Electric operates as a vertically integrated, regulated monopoly within its service territory. Florida is not a retail-choice state for electricity, so commercial and industrial customers cannot shop for a competitive supplier; rate optimization comes from selecting the best tariff and managing demand.
Need to pull your actual usage data to compare rates? See the Lakeland Electric Data Access Guide →
Current Rate Schedules
Lakeland Electric's commercial rates effective January 1, 2026 use a customer charge plus demand charge plus energy charge structure, layered with separate fuel, smart grid, and environmental charges. Three demand tiers apply by size, each with an optional time-of-use Shift to Save variant. All figures below are verified from the utility's published commercial rate sheet.
Effective: January 1, 2026 · Full Tariff Book →
| Schedule | Type | Applicability | Structure | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Service (Non-Demand) | commercial | Small commercial accounts without a demand meter. | Customer charge plus flat energy charge, plus fuel, smart grid, and environmental charges. | Energy $0.055144/kWh; Customer charge $16.50/mo (+ fuel $0.047/kWh, smart grid $0.00014, environmental $0.0018506)+ None |
| General Service Business Demand (less than 50 kWd) | commercial | Commercial accounts with billing demand under 50 kW. | Customer charge + demand charge + energy charge, with separate on/off-peak fuel charges. | Energy $0.06494/kWh; Customer charge $16.50/mo+ $6.60/kW |
| General Service Demand (50 kW to < 500 kW) | commercial | Mid-size commercial and industrial accounts with billing demand of 50–500 kW. | Customer charge + demand charge + lower energy charge; on/off-peak fuel charges. | Energy $0.02110/kWh; Customer charge $58.25/mo+ $9.52/kW |
| General Service Large Demand (500 kW and above) | industrial | Large industrial accounts with billing demand of 500 kW or greater. | High customer charge + demand charge + lowest energy charge; on/off-peak fuel charges. | Energy $0.016349/kWh; Customer charge $557.00/mo+ $11.16/kW |
| General Service Demand — Shift to Save (50 kW to < 500 kW) | commercial | 50–500 kW accounts opting into time-of-use energy pricing. | Customer charge + demand charge + on-peak/off-peak energy charges to reward load shifting. | On-peak energy $0.05049/kWh; Off-peak $0.00593/kWh; Customer charge $58.25/mo+ $9.52/kW |
| General Service Large Shift to Save (500 kW and above) | industrial | 500 kW+ accounts opting into time-of-use energy pricing. | Customer charge + demand charge + on-peak/off-peak energy charges for large loads. | On-peak energy $0.0358334/kWh; Off-peak $0.0068801/kWh; Customer charge $557.00/mo+ $11.16/kW |
Rate Recommendations by Use Case
Mid-size commercial facility (50–500 kW)
Facilities in the General Service Demand tier benefit from a low $0.02110/kWh energy charge but pay a $9.52/kW demand charge — so demand management drives the bill.
With energy already cheap at this tier, the demand charge is the largest controllable cost. Shaving peak kW and shifting load off-peak under Shift to Save (on-peak $0.05049 vs. off-peak $0.00593/kWh) can materially cut cost.
- Pull 15-minute interval data from Brillion to find peak-demand drivers.
- Stagger equipment startups to flatten the demand peak.
- Model Shift to Save against your load shape before opting in.
Large industrial plant (500 kW+)
The General Service Large Demand tier offers the lowest energy charge ($0.016349/kWh) but the highest fixed ($557/mo) and demand ($11.16/kW) charges.
At 500 kW+, demand charges dominate. The Large Shift to Save TOU option (on-peak $0.0358334 vs. off-peak $0.0068801/kWh) rewards plants that can run energy-intensive processes off-peak.
- Use multi-year Brillion interval history to baseline peak demand.
- Evaluate on-site generation or storage to clip the monthly peak.
- Confirm whether reactive (KVAR) charges or power-factor penalties apply.
Multi-site commercial portfolio
Operators with several Lakeland accounts should benchmark each site's demand tier and TOU eligibility to spot misclassified or optimization-ready meters.
Sites near a tier boundary or with peaky load shapes are the best optimization candidates; centralized interval data makes the comparison straightforward.
- Request Brillion access for every C&I meter in the portfolio.
- Compare load factor across sites to prioritize demand-reduction projects.
- Track fuel, smart grid, and environmental adders, which apply uniformly.
Historical Rate Trends
Lakeland Electric updates commercial rates annually by City ordinance; the current commercial rate sheet is effective January 1, 2026. Fuel charges are adjusted to track wholesale fuel costs.
January 1, 2026
Commercial rate sheet effective January 1, 2026, with current demand-tier and Shift to Save energy/demand charges.
n/aSeptember 3, 2024
City Commission adopted the electric rate ordinance (item 24-049) updating the rate framework.
n/aOverall trend: Rates have stepped up modestly year over year, with periodic fuel-charge adjustments. The 2024 rate ordinance (City Commission item 24-049) set the framework for recent commercial pricing.
Next expected change: Next scheduled annual rate review / ordinance update expected late 2026 for a January 2027 effective date.
Cost Optimization Strategies
Because Florida has no retail choice, Lakeland C&I customers optimize by choosing the right demand tier, managing peak demand, and evaluating the Shift to Save time-of-use option — all of which depend on detailed interval data.
Peak Demand Management
For: All demand-metered C&I accounts
Demand charges range from $6.60 to $11.16/kW. Flattening monthly peak demand through staggered equipment use or load control directly reduces the demand component.
Adopt Shift to Save (TOU)
For: C&I accounts with shiftable load
Shift to Save creates large on-peak vs. off-peak energy spreads (e.g., $0.05049 vs. $0.00593/kWh at the mid tier). Loads that can run off-peak can save substantially versus the flat energy charge.
Right-Size the Demand Tier
For: Accounts near a demand-tier boundary
Energy charges fall sharply at higher tiers while fixed/demand charges rise. Accounts near a 50 kW or 500 kW boundary should model both tiers to confirm the lowest total cost.
Free Commercial Energy Audit
For: All commercial customers
Lakeland Electric offers free on-site audits of HVAC, lighting, refrigeration, motors, and process equipment with efficiency recommendations.
To implement these strategies, you need your 15-minute interval data. Learn how to download Lakeland Electric interval data →
Frequently Asked Questions
How can a commercial customer get 15-minute interval data from Lakeland Electric?▾
15-minute interval data is available to C&I accounts (typically 50 kW+) through the Brillion Load Profiler platform. Call 863-834-9535 to confirm enrollment, then log in at https://lp.automatedenergy.com/lakeland/login/ to view and export interval data as CSV.
Does Lakeland Electric support Green Button or an API for third-party data access?▾
No. Lakeland Electric is not Green Button certified and offers no public customer-data API. Third parties access data through customer-authorized portal credentials or by negotiating a formal data-sharing agreement directly with the utility.
How does a third-party consultant access a Lakeland Electric customer's data?▾
The consultant must obtain written customer authorization, then either use customer-provided portal credentials in KUBRA My Account or request a separate Brillion login (via support@automatedenergy.com) for C&I interval data. Access is manual; there is no automated feed.
What commercial rate schedules does Lakeland Electric offer?▾
Lakeland Electric offers General Service Business Demand (under 50 kWd), General Service Demand (50–500 kW), and General Service Large Demand (500 kW+), plus optional time-of-use Shift to Save variants of each. Demand charges scale from $6.60/kW up to $11.16/kW with declining energy charges at higher tiers.
How deep is Lakeland Electric's historical interval data?▾
The utility maintains 12+ years of interval consumption data in its Oracle Utilities Meter Data Management system. C&I customers on Brillion can access multi-year hourly and 15-minute history; residential customers see 12+ months of daily data in EMPOWER.
Automate Lakeland Electric Rate Analysis with Nectar
Nectar continuously monitors your Lakeland Electric rate options and alerts you when a better schedule is available. Save 10-30% on energy costs.
Nectar for Energy & Sustainability Teams
Managing utility costs for commercial or industrial buildings? Nectar offers a free rate analysis — we'll review your current rate schedules and identify where switching tariffs or shifting load can save 10-30%.
Get a Free Rate AnalysisNectar for Energy Brokers & Consultants
Advising clients on rate optimization? Nectar works with energy consultants who need reliable interval data and automated rate comparison tools.
Partner with Us