[Second Reprint]

SENATE, No. 3620

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

221st LEGISLATURE

INTRODUCED SEPTEMBER 19, 2024

Sponsored by:

Senator  JOHN J. BURZICHELLI

District 3 (Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem)

Senator  SHIRLEY K. TURNER

District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)

Co-Sponsored by:

Senators McKeon, Timberlake, Singleton and Stack

SYNOPSIS

     Requires electric and gas public utilities to establish “Energy Bill Watch” program and include certain information in bills and notices to customers.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     As reported by the Assembly Telecommunications and Utilities Committee on December 9, 2024, with amendments.

An Act concerning electric and gas public utilities and supplementing Title 48 of the Revised Statutes.

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

     1.    As used in P.L.    , c.    (C.        ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill):

     “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 a metering device that employs smart meter technology to measure, record, and transmit utility usage data to both a public utility and a customer for billing and other purposes.  “Smart meter” shall include a basic hourly interval meter, a meter with one-way communication, and a real-time meter with built-in, two-way communication capable of recording and transmitting instantaneous utility usage data.

     “Smart meter customer” means a customer of an electric ²public utility² or gas public utility whose electricity or gas usage is measured using a smart meter.

     2.    a.  No later than ²[90] 120² days following the effective date of P.L.    , c.    (C.        ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), 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 when the customer’s electricity or gas usage exceeds certain thresholds 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 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 ²or from the same billing cycle in the previous calendar year²;

     (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 ²or from the same billing cycle in the previous calendar year²;

     (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 that the customer has reached the threshold dollar value based on the customer’s ²[electric] electricity² 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 provided pursuant to this subsection.

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

     (1)   advertise the electric public ²[utility] utility’s² 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;

     (c)   the electric public ²[utility] utility’s² or gas public utility’s Internet website; and

     (d)   bills to customers who possess smart meters;

     (2)   notify all smart meter customers via text message when the electric public ²[utility] utility’s² 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 ²[,]² guidance on how the customer can customize notifications or opt out of the “Energy Bill Watch” program.

      3.   ¹a.¹ An electric public utility or a gas public utility shall include, at a minimum, the following information in each bill issued to a customer:

      (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.

¹b.   An electric public utility or a gas public utility shall include, within each dollar amount required in each bill pursuant to subsection a. of this section, 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.¹

     4.    This act shall take effect immediately.