New Jersey Utility Bill Aid Season Opens: Monthly Credits of up to $200, One Application for Two Programs
The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU), based in Trenton, Mercer County, announced on October 30 that the new energy assistance application season opened on October 1. Through the Universal Service Fund (USF), eligible low- and moderate-income households can receive monthly credits on their gas and electric bills of up to $200 a month combined.
USF is administered by the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (NJDCA). Benefit levels were raised last year: the minimum monthly credit rose from $5 to $20 for gas and for electric service, and the maximum combined credit rose from $180 to $200 a month. The program is designed so that participating households pay no more than three percent of household income on energy costs, up to the cap.
'Affordability is at the center of everything we're doing at the Board, and that means making sure New Jersey families can access the aid they need to manage their utility bills,' said NJBPU President Ben Hertz-Shargel. DCA Commissioner Jacquelyn A. Suárez said the increased monthly benefits and expanded outreach can provide meaningful relief for families on tight budgets.
One application covers both USF and the federal Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), through the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs application portal. LIHEAP provides lump-sum help with heating, electric and deliverable-fuel costs, and also covers medically necessary cooling, emergency aid when a household faces disconnection, and heating system repair or replacement. Its application period runs from October 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027, processed first-come, first-served while funding remains. Income limits and eligibility details are posted on the state's energy assistance website, and residents can call 1-800-510-3102 for information.
USF enrollment also opens access to the Fresh Start energy debt forgiveness program and to shutoff protections in winter and summer; the state's Winter Termination Program protects qualifying households from disconnection from November 15 through March 15. The state's seven gas and electric utilities are required to help first-time applicants apply, and in the last program year they enrolled more than 8,000 first-time USF participants statewide, exceeding the first-year target.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：位于 Trenton 的新泽西州议会大厦（资料图）。Smallbones 摄，CC0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / The New Jersey State House in Trenton (file photo). Photo by Smallbones, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
