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Utilities defend infrastructure spending, smart‑meter rollouts and opt‑out fees as lawmakers seek clarity on bill outliers
Summary
Atlantic City Electric, JCP&L, PSE&G and Rockland Electric told the Assembly committee that infrastructure investments and extreme weather drove distribution increases; utilities said smart meters are accurate, but the $15/month opt‑out fee and regional SBC/distribution differences drew scrutiny and follow‑up data requests.
Four investor‑owned utilities testified about what drove higher bills this summer and how they are helping customers manage costs.
Atlantic City Electric said its territory experienced large usage increases and that distribution investments are paid through rate mechanisms that support storm resilience and modernization. The company reported a 20% average residential usage increase over the comparable period and emphasized customer tools such as budget billing, smart‑meter high‑usage alerts and an assistance finder that helped secure millions in aid for customers in 2023.
Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L) and PSE&G similarly pointed to record heat and increases in the Basic Generation Service supply charge as principal drivers. PSE&G highlighted assistance delivered in 2023 and 2024 (hundreds of thousands of customers and hundreds of millions of dollars in support) and its workforce and community programs tied to clean energy jobs.
Committee members pressed utilities on apparent geographic rate outliers — particularly in Atlantic County, where some customers reported much larger bill increases — and on why the societal benefits charge (SBC) and distribution components can vary among providers. Atlantic City Electric said per‑customer costs vary with territory geography and customer counts and offered to deliver a detailed side‑by‑side comparison for the committee.
Lawmakers also asked whether advanced metering infrastructure could be responsible for higher readings. Utilities said third‑party testing shows AMI meters are within BPU accuracy standards (reported testing range roughly 99.7%–100.3% accuracy) and that accuracy differences are unlikely to explain large bill spikes. Atlantic City Electric confirmed a $15/month surcharge for customers who opt out of smart meters, a practice several lawmakers flagged as disproportionate given systemwide meter benefits.
No changes were ordered at the hearing. Committee members asked utilities to submit itemized comparisons of distribution and SBC charges, opt‑out data, and meter‑testing results for areas with customer complaints.
