Newsroom & Public Notices

Protections That Cover Electric, Water, and Sewer Services Extended to Summer Months

TRENTON, N.J. —The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU), in partnership with the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (NJDCA), today announced a Summer Termination Program (STP) that will protect eligible New Jersey residents from having their essential utility services shut off during the hottest months of the year.

Running from June 15 through August 31, the program prevents disconnecting electric, water, and sewer services for qualifying residential customers, ensuring that vulnerable customers facing financial hardship maintain access to cooling and water throughout the sweltering summer season.

"The new Summer Termination Program, covering the most dangerous period for heat-related illness, reflects our commitment to ensuring that no New Jerseyan has to choose between paying their utility bills and meeting other essential needs during the hottest months of the year,” said NJBPU President Christine Guhl-Sadovy. “We encourage all eligible residents to contact their utility providers today to secure this critical safety net."

“The Summer Termination Program ensures that our neighbors can maintain utility services during periods of extreme heat,” said Assemblywoman Eliana Pintor Marin. “This law protects seniors, children, and working families while supporting public health and safety in communities across New Jersey. As temperatures continue to rise more frequently, this safeguard helps families stay healthy and connected to essential services.”

"In extreme temperatures, power shutoffs are not just a financial hardship, they threaten health and safety, particularly for children, seniors, people with chronic conditions, and those living in poorly insulated homes. Electricity for cooling is not a luxury in scorching conditions; it is a lifeline," said Senator Raj Mukherji. "I authored this law to protect vulnerable New Jerseyans during the hottest months and to save lives." 

"If you qualify for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program or any of our other assistance programs, you qualify for the Summer Termination Program," said NJDCA Commissioner Jacquelyn A. Suárez. "We have the resources to keep homes cool this summer and protect residents from heat-related illness. We are here to help."

Summer heat in New Jersey is a serious, and growing, health danger, with 2024 ranking as the second-warmest year on record and consistent, rapid warming making heatwaves longer and more intense. From 2000 to 2020, nearly 200 people in the state died from heat stroke, with hundreds more visiting emergency rooms annually due to severe heat-related illnesses.

The program is modelled on the Winter Termination Program (WTP) that has provided critical assistance to hundreds of thousands of New Jersey residents. During the 2024-2025 winter approximately 283,738 gas, electric, sewer and water customers were protected under WTP. The Summer Termination Program creates a comprehensive, statewide approach to prevent utility disconnections during the summer months.

New Jersey Among States Leading Summer Utility Protection Efforts

New Jersey is part of a growing number of states that recognize the critical importance of preventing utility shutoffs during hottest summer months. Some states have specific, non-temperature-based, summer-long protection dates, others prevent cut-offs when the temperature reaches 95 degrees F. Such protection programs exist across 26 states in many regions of the country, reflecting a nationwide commitment to protecting vulnerable populations from losing cooling and water services during summer.

"As summers get hotter and longer, New Jersey joins the many states that help protect people from the brutal heat. While each state tailors its program to local conditions and needs, we all share the same fundamental goal: ensuring that no family loses access to cooling or water during the summer months.” said NJBPU President Christine Guhl-Sadovy. “New Jersey's comprehensive approach—covering essential services in both in both winter and summer—represents one of the most expansive protections in the nation."

Who Is Eligible?

New Jersey residents may qualify for the Summer Termination Program if they are recipients of any of the following assistance programs:

●        Federal Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)

●        Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF)

●        Federal Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

●        Pharmaceutical Assistance to the Aged and Disabled (PAAD)

●        General Assistance (GA) benefits

●        Universal Service Fund (USF)

●        Lifeline Credit Program

Finally, individuals unable to pay their utility bills due to circumstances beyond their control may also qualify. Such circumstances include, but are not limited to:

●        Unemployment

●        Illness

●        Medically related expenses

●        Recent death of an immediate family member

●        Any other circumstances resulting in financial hardship

How to Enroll

To receive Summer Termination Program protection, eligible residents must contact their utility company directly and notify them of their qualification. This can be done verbally or by submitting a self-certification form for eligible customers receiving residential electric, sewer and water service from a local authority, municipal utility, or rural electric cooperative. Documentation of enrollment in a qualifying assistance program may be requested. Early enrollment ensures protection throughout the entire summer season.

Important: While STP prevents service shutoffs during the period of June 15 – August 31, customers remain responsible for their accumulated utility bills. Participants are strongly encouraged to make good-faith payments based on their ability to pay throughout the summer to avoid large overdue balances when the protection period ends on August 31.

Beyond shutoff protection, New Jersey offers several programs to help residents pay their utility bills:

Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP): Provides heating assistance grants for households at or below 60 percent of state median income. Applications are processed on a rolling, first-come, first-served basis.

Universal Service Fund (USF): Offers monthly utility bill credits of between $20 and $200 on electric and gas bills for households at or below 60 percent of state median income.

SHARES: SHARES offers several energy assistance and water assistance programs to low-and-moderate income residential customers who have overdue balances on their utility bills that they cannot pay due to financial hardship.

Households can apply for USF and LIHEAP energy assistance programs with one application through the DCAid portal at www.nj.gov/dca/dcaid or by calling 1-800-510-3102 to reach a community action agency partner for application assistance. Moderate income households or those seeking water assistance should contact the statewide nonprofit organization SHARES at: www.sharesnation.org or by calling: 866-657-4273.

For more information about the Summer Termination Program, residents should:

●        Contact their utility company directly to request STP protection

●        Call NJBPU at 1-800-624-0241 for program information

●        Call 2-1-1 for general assistance program information

●        Visit www.nj.gov/bpu/assistance/programs/ for information about available assistance programs

●        Visit www.nj.gov/dca/dcaid to apply for LIHEAP and USF programs

About the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU)

NJBPU is a state agency and regulatory authority mandated to ensure safe, adequate, and proper utility services at reasonable rates for New Jersey customers. Critical services regulated by NJBPU include natural gas, electricity, water, wastewater, telecommunications, and cable television. The Board has general oversight and responsibility for monitoring utility service, responding to consumer complaints, and investigating utility accidents. To find out more about NJBPU, visit www.nj.gov/bpu.

About the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (NJDCA)

NJDCA offers a wide range of programs and services, including affordable housing production, fire and building safety, community planning and development, local government management and finance, disaster recovery and mitigation, and utility assistance programs. For more information about NJDCA, visit https://nj.gov/dca/.