Customer Assistance

The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) has a variety of programs that can help you with utility bills, rent and removal of lead hazards from your home. Use the anonymous DCAid screening tool to determine if you are eligible for assistance, and for more information on how to apply.  

The Universal Service Fund (USF) provides monthly credits on electric and gas bills to lower costs. Credits are based on the amount you spend on energy that is over a certain percentage of income.

USF-Fresh Start: Eligible electric and gas customers with overdue balances of $60 or more will be automatically enrolled by their utility company into the Fresh Start program when they enroll in the USF program. Fresh Start provides forgiveness on the overdue balance amount that existed at the time of USF enrollment. Fresh Start is available once every five years.

How do I receive Fresh Start forgiveness for my overdue balance? Each month that a USF-Fresh Start customer pays only their current monthly charges in full, 1/12 of their Fresh Start overdue balance will be forgiven by the utility company. (Some utility companies forgive up to ¼ of the customer’s overdue balance once every three months). The utility company will send information to Fresh Start customers when they are enrolled explaining how the program works and updates regarding their status in the program. The customer should call their utility company with any Fresh Start questions but can reach out to the Board of Public Utilities at 800-624-0241 or file a complaint online at: www.nj.gov/bpu/assistance/complaints if the customer cannot resolve the issue with their utility company.

How do I apply for USF and USF-Fresh Start?*

• Apply online via DCAid and upload all required documents
• For further information: energyassistance.nj.gov
• Call the NJ Utility Assistance hotline at 800-510-3102 to:
  • Find your local application agency
  • Follow up on the status of your application
  • If you are disabled/homebound, or without a smart phone or home computer, request a home visit for assistance in completing your application 

*USF shares its application with the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). You can apply for both programs at the same time during the LIHEAP season (10/1 - 6/30), or apply online for USF only during the summer months.

Note: You cannot apply for Fresh Start. If you are eligible, you will be enrolled by your utility company and receive information about it in the mail.

USF is administered by the Department of Community Affairs. Fresh Start is administered by the utility companies with oversight by NJBPU.

The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP, or HEAP) helps New Jersey households pay for heating costs and certain medically-necessary cooling expenses. Renters who have their heating costs included in their rent may also qualify. Applications for LIHEAP are accepted from October 1 through June 30 while funds last. The LIHEAP program shares its application with the USF program. For application options please see above “How do I apply for USF and USF-Fresh Start?” or visit here.

Many households are surprised to learn they qualify for LIHEAP. Income eligibility limits were expanded in 2020, so even if you did not qualify in the past—or assume your income is too high—it's worth applying to see if your household is eligible for assistance.

LIHEAP is administered by the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs.

The Payment Assistance for Gas and Electric (PAGE) Program provides relief on gas and electric bills for low- to moderate-income New Jersey households (see income limits above). Those who are income eligible for USF should apply for that program first before seeking supplemental assistance from PAGE. To self-screen for program eligibility, apply online, or print an application, please visit www.sharesnation.org or call 1-866-657-4273.

SHARES also provides assistance to income-eligible New Jersey households for paying their energy, telephone, broadband (internet), water, wastewater, tax, rent and mortgage bills. 

PAGE is administered by SHARES but is made possible by the New Jersey Department of the Treasury and is subject to availability of funds.

Note: Households with undocumented individuals may apply for USF, PAGE and LIHEAP as described above. While LIHEAP requires at least one household member to have a social security number, this is not a requirement for the USF and PAGE programs.

For more information, call 2-1-1.

The Winter Termination Program protects specific categories of customers from having their water, wastewater, gas or electric shut off between November 15 and March 15 of each year.

These categories include:

1. Recipients of benefits under the Lifeline Credit Program;
2. Recipients of benefits under LIHEAP, or certified as eligible therefore under standards set by the New Jersey Department of Human Services;
3. Recipients of Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF);
4. Recipients of Federal Supplemental Security Income (SSI);
5. Recipients of Pharmaceutical Assistance to the Aged and Disabled (PAAD);
6. Recipients of General Assistance (GA) benefits;
7. Recipients of the Universal Service Fund (USF);
8. Applicants of the Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program or any other State, local, or utility program that provides assistance or discounted rates specifically to help eligible customers pay wastewater or water bills that may exist at that time; or
9. Residential customers who are unable to pay their utility bills because of circumstances beyond their control. Such circumstances shall include, but shall not be limited to, unemployment, illness, medically related expenses, recent death of an immediate family member, and any other circumstances, which might cause financial hardship. These residential customers shall be permitted to self-certify to the utility or Division of Customer Assistance of the Board of an inability to pay their public utility bill.

Please call your utility company to request WTP protection. If you have any questions about WTP the utility cannot answer, please call the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities at: 800-624-0241.

 The Winter Termination Program is administered by NJBPU.

Lifeline provides an annual energy benefit to qualified seniors and the disabled. The benefit can help eligible homeowners and renters with electric and/or natural gas costs. You can apply for Lifeline by using the NJSAVE application, available at  www.aging.nj.gov. For more information about Lifeline, call 1-800-792-9745, or click here. 

Lifeline is administered by the New Jersey Department of Human Services (DHS).

New Jersey Comfort Partners is a free program that helps income-eligible customers reduce their utility bills by implementing measures at no cost to them. Through Comfort Partners, NJBPU and your electric and natural gas utilities partner with you to lower your energy use and utility bills, improve your comfort, and increase the health and safety of your home. For more information, click here or call (866) 378-4345.