Exhobit 12
                         TAMPA ELECTRIC COMPANY
                     RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES

           The  following  table sets forth the company's ratio of earnings

to fixed charges for the periods indicated.

  Nine Months  Twelve Months
     Ended        Ended                Year Ended December 31,
Sept. 30, 1999 Sept. 30, 1999   1998     1997   1996(3) 1995(3)  1994(3)

    4.05x(1)     3.93x(2)     4.51x(4)  4.38x  4.40x   4.28x   3.88x(5)


        For  the  purposes of calculating these ratios, earnings consist of
income from operations before income taxes and fixed charges. Fixed charges
consist  of  interest  on  indebtedness,  amortization of debt premium, the
interest component of rentals and preferred stock dividend requirements.

(1)  Includes  the  effect  of  a  third  quarter 1999 $10.5-million pretax
     charge  at the Electric division associated with a regulatory decision
     for  audits  of the company s 1997 and 1998 earnings which limited its
     equity  ratio  to  58.7,  in  addition to a $4.3-million pretax charge
     reflecting  corporate  income  tax  settlements.  Had this charge been
     excluded  from the calculation, the ratio of earnings to fixed charges
     would have been 5.14x for the 9-month period ended Sept. 30, 1999.

(2)  Includes the effect of a fourth quarter 1998 one-time pretax charge of
     $7.3-million  at  the Electric division. Had this charge been excluded
     from  the  calculation,  the  ratio of earnings to fixed charges would
     have been 4.83x for the 12-month period ended Sept. 30, 1999.

(3)  Amounts  have  been  restated  to  reflect  the  merger of Peoples Gas
     System, Inc., with and into Tampa Electric Company.

(4)  Includes  the  effect  of  one-time,  pretax  charges  totaling  $16.9
     million.  The  effect  of  these  charges  was  to reduce the ratio of
     earnings  to  fixed  charges. Had these charges been excluded from the
     calculation,  the  ratio  of earnings to fixed charges would have been
     4.66x for the year ended Dec. 31, 1998.

(5)  Includes  the  effect  of a $21.3-million pretax restructuring charge.
     The effect of this charge was to reduce the ratio of earnings to fixed
     c h a r g e s.  Had  this  non-recurring  charge  been  excluded  from
     thecalculation, the ratio of earnings to fixed charges would have been
     4.23x for the year ended Dec. 31, 1994.












                                                              28