SENATE ECONOMIC GROWTH COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 3620

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  OCTOBER 10, 2024

      The Senate Economic Growth Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Senate Bill No. 3620.

      As amended and reported, this bill requires each electric public utility and each gas public utility that uses smart meters to establish an “Energy Bill Watch” program to notify a smart meter customer when the customer’s electricity or gas usage exceeds certain thresholds as provided in the bill.  Under an “Energy Bill Watch” program, an electric public utility or gas public utility is required to: (1) notify a customer on the 10th day of each billing cycle if the customer’s average daily electricity or gas usage exceeds the customer’s average daily electricity or gas usage from the previous billing cycle; (2) notify a customer on the 20th day of, or at such points as the customer designates in, each billing cycle, if the customer’s average daily electricity or gas usage exceeds the customer’s average daily electricity or gas usage from the previous billing cycle; (3) provide a customer the option to set a threshold dollar value for the cost of electric or gas service at which the electric public utility or gas public utility will notify the customer that the customer has reached the threshold dollar value based on the customer’s electric or gas usage for that billing cycle; and (4) provide a customer with the cost in dollars of the customer’s average monthly electricity or gas usage and the amount in kilowatt hours or therms of the customer’s average monthly electricity or gas usage in each notice. 

      Under this bill, an electric public utility or gas public utility is required to: (1) advertise the electric public utility or gas public utility’s “Energy Bill Watch” program through multiple methods, as specified in the bill; (2) notify all smart meter customers when the electric public utility or gas public utility’s “Energy Bill Watch” program is available for customers and include an option to opt out; (3) automatically enroll all smart meter customers in the “Energy Bill Watch” 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.

      This bill also requires that certain information be included in all bills from an electric public utility or gas public utility to a customer, including but not limited to: (1) the dollar amount charged to the customer by the electric public utility or gas public utility in the previous billing cycle; (2) the dollar amount charged to the customer by the electric public utility or gas public utility in the current billing cycle; and (3) the difference between the amount charged in the previous billing cycle and the current billing cycle.  The bill requires an electric public utility or gas public utility to include, within each dollar amount, any tariffs, fees, or taxes, including, but not limited to, charges for the distribution of electricity or gas, third party supplier services, and the societal benefits charge.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS:

      The committee amendments include a requirement for an electric public utility or gas public utility to include within each dollar amount required in each bill, any tariffs, fees, or taxes, including, but not limited to, charges for the distribution of electricity or gas, third party supplier services, and the societal benefits charge.