CLAIM: Rick Scott says utility costs rose by 30% under Charlie Crist, and have fallen during his administration.

FACT: Cherry picking the data in a desperate attempt to score partisan points won’t help a single ratepayer — but Rick Scott doesn’t care, because he’s only on the side of the powerful utility companies. In his misleading statistics, Scott only looks at the investor owned companies, big contributors like Duke and FP&L, in his inaccurate claim about utilities, ignoring all of Florida’s other utility companies.

The truth is, statewide rates for average ratepayers under Charlie Crist normalized during his term despite the economic recession. The monthly residential rate for Floridians in 2010 averaged 11.45 cents — and over just the past year, residential rates under Rick Scott are 11.7 cents per kWh.

Residential utility rates over the last 18 months [source: Energy Information Administration]: