Prohibits electric and gas public utilities from collecting payment from residential budget billing plan customers whose service was interrupted as a result of major emergency event.

S 1174 prohibits electric and gas utilities from charging residential customers in budget billing plans for service during interruptions caused by major emergency events (like storms, floods, or declared disasters) until service is restored. It directly affects residential utility customers enrolled in fixed-rate budget billing plans who experience service outages due to qualifying emergencies. The bill requires the Board of Public Utilities to enforce this prohibition, though utilities may still collect payments for service used *before* the emergency began. This policy change ensures customers aren't billed for service they couldn't use during disaster-related outages.