A5736

An Act concerning electric and gas public utilities billing practices and amending P.L.2025, c47.

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. Section 1 of P.L.2025, c.47 (C.48:3-86.1) is amended to read as follows:

1. As used in P.L.2025, c.47 (C.48:3-86.1 et. seq.):

“Electric public utility” means a public utility, as that term is defined in R.S.48:2-13, that distributes electricity to end users within this State.

“Gas public utility” means a public utility, as that term is defined in R.S.48:2-13, that distributes gas to end users within this State.

“Smart meter” means an electronic metering device that measures and records utility usage data in regular intervals on a daily basis and wirelessly transmits this data to a public utility for billing and other purposes.

“Smart meter customer” means a residential customer of an electric public utility or gas public utility whose electricity or gas usage is measured using a smart meter.

(cf: P.L.2025, c.47, s.1)

2. Section 2 of P.L.2025, c.47 (C.48:3-86.2) is amended to read as follows:

2. a. No later than 90 days following the effective date of P.L.2025, c.47 (C. 48:3-86.1 et. seq.), each electric public utility and each gas public utility that uses smart meters to record customers’ electricity or gas usage information shall establish a program, which program shall be called “Energy Bill Watch,” to notify a smart meter customer of the customer’s electricity or gas usage as provided in subsection b. of this section.

b. Under an “Energy Bill Watch” program established pursuant to subsection a. of this section, an electric public utility or a gas public utility shall, at a minimum:

(1) notify a customer on the 10th day of each billing cycle via, at the customer’s discretion, text message or [, if the electric public utility or gas public utility does not possess a smart meter customer’s mobile telephone number, via] electronic mail, of the cost in dollars of the customer’s electricity or gas usage for the billing cycle up to the time at most two days before which the notification is sent and the amount in kilowatt hours or therms of the customer’s electricity or gas usage for the billing cycle up to the time at most two days before which the notification is sent;

(2) notify a customer on the 20th day of each billing cycle via, at the customer’s discretion, text message or [, if the electric public utility or gas public utility does not possess a smart meter customer’s mobile telephone number, via] electronic mail, of the cost in dollars of the customer’s electricity or gas usage for the billing cycle up to the time at most two days before which the notification is sent and the amount in kilowatt hours or therms of the customer’s electricity or gas usage for the billing cycle up to the time at most two days before which the notification is sent;

(3) provide a customer the option to set a threshold dollar value for the cost of electric or gas service at which the electric or gas public utility will notify the customer via the customer’s selection of text message or electronic mail that the customer has reached the threshold dollar value based on the customer’s electricity or gas usage for that billing cycle; and

(4) provide a customer with the option to receive a separate notice each billing cycle that compares the customer’s average daily electricity or gas usage from that billing cycle with the customer’s average daily electricity or gas usage from the previous billing cycle or from the same billing cycle in the previous calendar year.

c. An electric public utility or a gas public utility shall:

(1) advertise the electric public utility’s or gas public utility’s “Energy Bill Watch” program through multiple methods, including, but not limited to:

(a) electronic mail;

(b) posts on social media platforms;

(d) bills to customers who possess smart meters;

(2) notify all smart meter customers via text message when the electric public utility’s or gas public utility’s “Energy Bill Watch” program is available for customers and include in the notification the choice to opt out of the program. If the electric public utility or gas public utility does not possess a smart meter customer’s mobile telephone number, the electric public utility or gas public utility shall send the notification via electronic mail;

(3) automatically enroll all smart meter customers in the program; and

(4) include in a customer’s first notice guidance on how the customer can customize notifications or opt out of the “Energy Bill Watch” program.

(cf: P.L.2025, c.47, s.2)

3. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

This bill amends certain notification requirements under the "Energy Bill Watch" program. Current law requires electric and gas public utilities to implement programs that notify each smart meter customer on the 10th and 20th day of a billing cycle of the cost in dollars of the smart meter customer’s electricity or gas usage and the amount in kilowatt hours or therms of the customer’s electricity or gas usage in that billing cycle through text messages or if the electric or gas public utility does not possess the smart meter customer’s phone number, through electronic mail messages.

This bill clarifies that the “Energy Bill Watch” program pertains to residential customers whose electric or gas usage is measured using a smart meter. The bill further gives smart meter customers the choice between receiving text messages or electronic mail messages on the 10th and 20th day of a billing cycle. Finally, the bill requires the notification provided on the 10th and 20th day of the billing cycle to include the cost in dollars of a smart meter customer’s usage and the amount in kilowatt hours or therms of the customer’s electricity or gas usage up to the time at most two days before the notification is sent.