[Third Reprint] SENATE, No. 3620 STATE OF NEW JERSEY 221st LEGISLATURE INTRODUCED SEPTEMBER 19, 2024
[Third 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 amended by the General Assembly on Janaury 30, 2025.
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 amended by the General Assembly on Janaury 30, 2025.
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 3[a] an electronic3 metering device that 3[employs smart meter technology to measure, record, and transmit utility usage data to both] measures and records utility usage data in regular intervals on a daily basis and wirelessly transmits this data to3 a public utility 3[and a customer]3 for billing and other purposes. 3["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.]3 "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 3[2[90] 1202] 903 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 3[when] of3 the customer's electricity or gas usage 3[exceeds certain thresholds]3 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 3[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] via 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 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 which the notification is sent3; (2) notify a customer on the 20th day of 3[, or at such points as the customer designates in,]3 each billing cycle 3[, 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] via 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 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 which the notification is sent3; (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 3via the customer's selection of text message or electronic mail3 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 3[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] 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 year3. 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.
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 3[a] an electronic3 metering device that 3[employs smart meter technology to measure, record, and transmit utility usage data to both] measures and records utility usage data in regular intervals on a daily basis and wirelessly transmits this data to3 a public utility 3[and a customer]3 for billing and other purposes. 3["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.]3
"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 3[2[90] 1202] 903 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 3[when] of3 the customer's electricity or gas usage 3[exceeds certain thresholds]3 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 3[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] via 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 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 which the notification is sent3;
(2) notify a customer on the 20th day of 3[, or at such points as the customer designates in,]3 each billing cycle 3[, 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] via 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 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 which the notification is sent3;
(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 3via the customer's selection of text message or electronic mail3 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 3[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] 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 year3.
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.