A Jacksonville resident's online petition calling for lower JEA utility rates has gathered more than 3,500 signatures ahead of rate increases set to take effect Oct. 1.

Jason Goodrich, a self-described TikTok creator and community advocate, launched the Change.org petition after receiving a $500 JEA bill he said reflected normal usage. Goodrich told News4Jax he works six days a week and is rarely home. Mandarin residents are among JEA's 541,000 customers facing the Oct. 1 rate changes.

He posted about the bill two months ago.

Other customers responded with their own complaints, including one woman who said she received a $600 bill while living on a fixed income.

"I feel like 90% of the people I talk to say a lot of the things they're being charged for is fees … They're not using this much electricity, but it's fees on top of fees on top of fees," Goodrich said.

Rate hikes take effect Oct. 1

The petition comes as JEA prepares to raise rates Oct. 1. Residential electric bills could increase up to 3.1%, and residential water and sewer bills could rise up to 7.5%, depending on usage, according to figures the Sierra Club cited in a Sept. 2 statement about JEA leadership changes. Those customers already saw a 3.7% overall bill increase in 2025.

JEA said in a statement that it is aware of the petition and understands the pressure higher costs place on household budgets. The utility said rate adjustments are needed to cover rising operating costs, maintain aging infrastructure, accommodate Northeast Florida's growth, meet environmental requirements and fulfill financial obligations tied to Plant Vogtle.

JEA also noted that lower projected fuel costs will partially offset the electric rate increase. A residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt-hours per month would pay about $8.70 less for electricity in October than for the same usage in April, according to the utility. Water and sewer customers, however, will see increases based on usage.

Advocate urges residents to attend board meeting

Goodrich plans to address the JEA board at its meeting Sept. 25 at 9 a.m. He said online complaints are easy to ignore and urged residents to attend JEA and City Council meetings in person, even if they do not plan to speak.

The Sept. 25 board meeting is also expected to address the search for a replacement for former CEO Vickie Cavey, according to the Jax Daily Record.