FORT MYERS, Fla. -- It's your money and if you are a Florida Power & Light customer, your rates are going up.  The power company wants nearly $7 from your wallet but it's money customers say they don't have.

If approved, the proposed increase will happen in 2013.  FPL says it wants to raise it's base rate which means they'll pass the increase of $6.80 onto the customer.  But not everyone is thrilled.

Virginia Kline is part owner of the Hideaway Bar in downtown Fort Myers.  Hearing her electric bill could be going up is not music to her ears.

"Its hard enough trying to run a small business as it is without other things going up constantly," said Kline.

Florida Power and Light told state regulators on Tuesday that it wants to raise its base rate by $695 million annually.  Passing the buck to customers means an increase of about $7 each month beginning in 2013.  FPL users are not thrilled.

"I'm not happy about it.  In these economic times, who would be happy about their bill going up?  Especially $7.  That is a big jump," said Brooke Sanzari, FPL customer.

"It will run up when everything is run by electric.  That $7 a month will hurt a lot of people," said Kline.

The reason for the increase, FPL says the rising cost of doing business and needing to pay on future projects.

"We want our customers to know is that it will help pay for a new high efficiency power plant that will benefit our customers for decades to come," said Pam Rauch, Vice President, FPL.

The new gas burning plan is said to enable FPL to reduce fuel charges.  The plant will be on the east coast, in Cape Canaveral, but everyone statewide is setting the increase.

"No one likes to see their electric bills go up but if they truly are doing a green machine, they're doing something that is going to help the environment, then yes I probably wouldn't mind," said Karl Bergstrom, a FPL customer.

"We should be energy efficient as it is.  We've been trying to be energy efficient in this country for quite some time now.  It should have been done already," said Sanzari.

Kline knows an increase will affect her bottom line at the Hideaway.

"Here at the bar its really going to hurt us.  Especially since the bill is so high," said Kline.

The rate increase is tentative.  It could change when FPL files its formal rate request, which is expected by the end of March.