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.
Summary
A4714 would require the Board of Public Utilities to prohibit electric and gas public utilities from billing certain residential customers on budget billing plans for service during periods when their service is interrupted because their home was damaged by a major emergency event. The bill applies when the interruption results from events beyond the utility’s control, such as severe storms, floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, heat waves, snowstorms, or ice storms, and also when the State or federal government declares an emergency or disaster.
Under the bill, the billing protection lasts until service is restored. The measure does not eliminate a customer’s responsibility for charges incurred before the emergency event; utilities may still collect those pre-event amounts according to law. The bill takes effect immediately and would supplement existing utility law in Title 48 of the Revised Statutes.
Impact
The bill would direct the BPU to adopt or enforce a rule barring electric and gas utilities from charging affected residential budget-billing customers for service during an emergency-related outage caused by damage to the customer’s residence. It would create a specific consumer protection for residential customers on budget billing plans and limit utility collection practices during major emergency events, while preserving utilities’ ability to recover pre-event arrears. The practical effect would be to alter utility billing obligations and customer rights during declared disasters and widespread service interruptions.
Sentiment
Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee testimony or votes, the measure appears to be framed as a consumer relief and fairness bill for residents affected by disasters. Its stated purpose suggests a generally protective posture toward customers who lose service through no fault of their own. Because there is no available voting history or transcript, there is no documented public record here of support or opposition beyond the bill’s consumer-protection design.
Contention
The main potential point of contention is the balance between customer relief and utility revenue recovery. Supporters would likely emphasize that residents should not be billed for utility service they could not receive after a disaster damaged their homes, especially during prolonged outages. Opponents or concerned stakeholders may argue that the bill could complicate utility billing systems, create administrative burdens in determining eligibility and outage causation, or shift costs to utilities and, indirectly, other ratepayers. The bill also leaves room for disputes over what qualifies as a major emergency event and when service is considered restored.
Same As
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.
Carry Over
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.
Carry Over
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.