A 2843 New Jersey General Assembly · 2026-2027 Regular Session

Prohibits certain electric public utility rate increases and requires certain protections for ratepayers.

This bill prohibits New Jersey electric utilities from raising rates specifically to cover smart meter installation costs. It requires utilities to publicly disclose rate increase details (amount, date, reasons, and impact) 30 days before and after any increase, with fines up to $10,000 for noncompliance. For rate hikes causing a 5%+ average bill increase, utilities must report to the federal Department of Energy 60 days in advance and provide annual reports on service interruptions and overdue bills. The bill also bans disconnecting service or charging late fees for affected ratepayers for six months following such significant increases. These provisions directly protect residential and business electricity customers from unexpected costs while increasing utility transparency.
Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2026
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Jan 13, 2026 Last action Jan 13, 2026
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Jan 13, 2026
Introduced
Introduced, Referred to Assembly Telecommunications and Utilities Committee
lower
2 primary · 11 co-sponsors

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