ASSEMBLY TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND UTILITIES COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 5736

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  JUNE 12, 2025

      The Assembly Telecommunications and Utilities Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Assembly Bill No. 5736. 

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

      This bill clarifies that the program pertains to residential customers whose electricity or gas usage is measured using a smart meter.  In addition, the bill gives smart meter customers the choice between receiving program notifications via text message or electronic mail.  Finally, the bill requires the notification provided during the week of 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. 

      Additionally, the bill requires that the first notification to customers about program availability be sent via bill insert or electronic mail, rather than via text message, as under current law.  An electric public utility is to inform a customer about certain options for receiving notifications under the program or opting out, as outlined in the bill. 

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS:

      The committee amended the bill to: 

      (1)  require an electric public utility or gas public utility to notify a customer of the cost in dollars and the measure of electricity or gas usage during the week of the 10th and 20th days of each billing cycle, instead of on the 10th and 20th days;

      (2)  require that an electric public utility or gas public utility notify all smart meter customers when the electric public utility’s or gas public utility’s “Energy Bill Watch” program is available via bill insert or electronic mail, instead of via text message;

      (3)  require that an electric public utility or gas public utility include information about how the customer may choose to receive program notifications via text message in the notification sent to customers when the program is available;

      (4)  clarify that an electric public utility or gas public utility is to also include in a customer’s first notification under the “Energy Bill Watch” program information that, if the customer does not express a preference to receive notifications via text message or via electronic mail, the utility will send the notification via electronic mail;

      (5)  clarify that “electric public utility” includes a public utility that transmits and distributes electricity to end users within the State, instead of a public utility that distributes electricity to end users within the State; and

      (6)  make technical changes.