Florida Power & Light Company today announced a partnership with BellSouth and First Union that encourages customers to use the Internet as a quick, convenient, and secure option to receive and pay their bills. Online billing and payment is encouraged by the companies so that their customers, many of whom are already using the Internet daily, can pay by a click of the mouse and not by mail.

FPL E-Bill service allows customers the convenience of using any online bill paying service to pay the FPL bill. Customers can use their bank, financial software such as Quicken®, or other financial institutions' service to review and pay FPL bills from any computer that has Internet access.

Each month a customer will receive notification from their financial institution telling them that the FPL bill is ready to review and pay. Payments are made electronically on a secure server by accessing the financial institution's web site and clicking to pay the bill. First Union customers may sign up for online bill payment at https://enroll.firstunion.com/. Customers of other financial institutions should contact those offices for online bill payment enrollment information.

FPL has teamed up with BellSouth and First Union to let consumers know about the benefits of electronic billing and payment. "FPL is pleased to join with BellSouth and First Union to showcase the benefits of electronic billing and payment options. This is a very convenient, secure service and we think many of the 60 percent of our customers who have access to the Internet will take advantage of this opportunity," said Bill Hamilton, vice president of customer service for FPL.

Kellie Scott, senior vice president and director of eChannels for First Union, said, "If FPL or BellSouth customers have an account with First Union, they have the added convenience of having their electric or telephone bill paid automatically up to a maximum amount they choose."

"Helping our customers realize the benefits of using the Internet when conducting business with BellSouth is a top priority for us," said Klaus Werner, General Manager of eCommerce, for BellSouth.

About FPL

Florida Power & Light Company is the principal subsidiary of FPL Group, Inc. , one of the nation's largest providers of electricity-related services with annual revenues of more than $7 billion. The company serves approximately 3.9 million customer accounts in Florida. FPL Energy, LLC, FPL Group's energy-generating subsidiary, is a leader in producing electricity from clean and renewable fuels. Additional information is available on the Internet at www.fpl.com.

About BellSouth:

BellSouth Corporation is a Fortune 100 communications services company headquartered in Atlanta, GA, serving more than 45 million customers in the United States and 16 other countries. BellSouth provides a full array of broadband data and e-commerce solutions to business customers, including Web hosting and other Internet services. In the residential market, BellSouth offers DSL high-speed Internet access, advanced voice features and other services.

About First Union:

First Union , with $253 billion in assets and stockholders' equity of $16 billion at March 31, 2001, is a leading provider of financial services to 15 million retail and corporate customers throughout the East Coast and the nation. The company operates full-service banking offices in 11 East Coast states and Washington, D.C., and full-service brokerage offices in 47 states and internationally. Online banking products and services can be accessed through www.firstunion.com.

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SOURCE: Florida Power & Light Company