Some N.J. residents will continue to avoid utility shutoffs under law Murphy just signed - NJ.com
New Jersey residents behind on their utility bills but still waiting to learn whether they will receive state aid to help cover the debt will continue to be shielded from having their utilities shut off even though the state’s shutoff moratorium recently ended.
Gov. Phil Murphy on Friday signed a bill into law extending the protection to those residents, a day after the state Legislature overwhelmingly passed the fast-tracked legislation (S2356).
Officials said the move would protect thousands of residents as they wait for state assistance amid economic hardship brought by the coronavirus pandemic.
“As New Jersey continues on our road to recovery, we must provide ongoing support to residents who have been financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic,” Murphy said in a statement. “This legislation will keep the lights on and water running for families who are still making their way through the process of obtaining assistance from our state.”
State Sen. Brian Stack, D-Hudson, a sponsor of the law, said the swift action was needed because some companies had already started to shut off utilities.
“I am grateful the governor has joined us in acting urgently to protect our residents in need of assistance,” Stack said.
State Sen. Vin Gopal, D-Monmouth, another sponsor, said about 850,000 residential gas and electric customers across the state owe more than $660 million, largely because of the effects of the pandemic.
“This legislation will give those residents breathing room as their assistance application is sorted out,” Gopal said. “The law will also give (the state Department of Community Affairs the time necessary to properly vet and review applications, and to make determinations accordingly.”
Under the measure, residents who apply for utility aid from a state agency would get a 60-day grace period in which their utilities could not be shut off unless a state authority approve or denies their assistance request. Those residents must apply before June 15.
The proposal would also bar municipalities from placing a lien on a resident’s property because of unpaid electric, water, or sewer bills during that 60-day window and while they appeal a denied application.
Utility providers would be required to offer a 12-month repayment plan for residents who receive the 60-day grace period. Shutoffs could resume if the residents does not accept the payment plan within 30 days.
The Senate passed the bill 33-0, and the Assembly passed it 72-3, with one abstention, on Thursday.
“No one deserves to have their electricity or water shut off while they wait for answers,” said Assemblywoman Cleopatra Tucker, D-Essex, another sponsor.
The New Jersey chapter of AARP applauded both Murphy and the Legislature for the law on Friday, saying it will help “many New Jersey residents, particularly older residents living on low, moderate, and fixed incomes” who have faced “caused extreme financial stress” because of the pandemic.
Murphy enacted the moratorium on utility shutoffs at the start of the pandemic in 2020 to help protect customers struggling with finances because of the crisis from having service turned off. Murphy extended it numerous times, but it finally lapsed March 15, slightly more than two years after the state’s known COVID-19 case was reported.
About 850,000 New Jersey residents were still behind on electric and gas bills and 157,000 were still behind on water utility payments as the moratorium ended, state Board of Public Utilities President Joe Fiordaliso said last week.
Though New Jersey’s moratorium was lifted, consumers can still apply to the state for help with utility bills.
A family of four with an income of $105,000 a year can qualify for the Universal Service Fund Program (USF), while a family of four with income of about $77,000 a year would be eligible for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).
Across New Jersey, during this federal fiscal year, which runs from October 2021 through September 2022, nearly 282,994 households applied to the programs through March 14, and nearly 219,033 households have received funding, said Lisa Ryan, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Community Affairs.
The program has paid out an average of $368 per family for a total of $83.53 million, Ryan said.
The LIHEAP application is open until June 30, 2022, and the application automatically enters you in review for the USF program. You can apply online at energyassistance.nj.gov or you can get help from an authorized local community action agency or community-based organization.
To be eligible for LIHEAP benefits, you must have gross income at or below 60% of the state median income, in the chart below or on the Department of Community Affairs website.
To learn more about both programs, you can call (800) 510-3102.
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source: https://www.nj.com/politics/2022/03/some-nj-residents-will-continue-to-avoid-utility-shutoffs-under-law-murphy-just-signed.html
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