With energy bills climbing, neighbors in St. Pete are asking city leaders to rethink who powers their homes.

A local organization said there could be cheaper options than Duke Energy and theyre pushing for change as families struggle to keep up with rising costs.

"I love this area. I was born and raised here in St. Petersburg 78 years ago," said John L. Smith, a homeowner.

Smith has no plans to move any time soon.

"We love the city and we would like to continue to love the city with a lower rate in our electrical bill," said Smith.

But he said with prices up, it makes it hard to make ends meet.

"It's not just with the electrical, but the cost of livingeverything is going up. Inflation is skyrocketing," said Smith.

His energy bill has slowly increased over time, and now averages arou

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