UPDATE: Freeholder Wants Utility Companies To Waive Fees For Residents Left Homeless Or Displaced By Storm

Ocean County Department of Consumer Affairs working on survey to address the problem

Call it adding insult to injury. That's Freeholder Joseph H. Vicari's reaction to utilities that continue to send bills to Superstorm Sandy victims who may not even have a home left or one they can live in. "If you lost your home, it no longer exists," he said at the Feb. 21 Board of Freeholders meeting. "But you are still getting a bill." Vicari said he has already spoken to Jersey Central Power and Light representatives, who have agreed to make corrections in bills sent to residents who lost their homes or are displaced. "Adjustments will be made," he said. "We are working on that. We hear what people are saying." Many residents who have been displaced are now actually being double billed - first for utility usage in homes they can no …

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Skitch

1:31 am on Saturday, February 23, 2013

I live in Beach Haven West/Stafford Twsp. What i have left of my house is a roof and 4 exterior walls that are jack off of the foundation. I have no toilet, no sinks left, no tub and no showers. No working plumbing at all in the house. I can not use any water or flush a toilet yet i still have to pay my water bill because i still own the house. The only way to stop the water/sewer bill from …   more ›

Hurricane Sandy

Inspectors Still Reviewing Outages

State and township inspectors are certifying whether power can be turned on in Windsor Park, Green Island and parts of Silverton.

State inspectors are now in Toms River Township to help local officials and Jersey Central Power & Light in areas still without power to ensure that storm damage has not compromised homes, the township said on its Website. Inspectors are conducting house-to-house inspections in Windsor Park, Green Island and sections of Silverton today and will continue until completion, the township said.  Each home must be individually certified that the power can be turned on. The township said power will begin to return to those residents once inspections are completed and affected homes have been identified.  

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Hurricane Sandy

JCP&L Readies for Sandy

Utility cautions that using generators can be dangerous

JCP&L is getting ready for Hurricane Sandy, with extra staff on standby and a lot of lessons learned. JCP&L clearly has not forgotten the criticism it took after Tropical Storm Irene ravaged New Jersey in August 2011. Utility officials learned from it, made a wide array of improvements in technology, communications and planning and they're ready to put that to the test, said JCP&L spokesman Ron Morano. "We've made improvements to how we provide customer information," Morano said, adding the company is doing all it can to prepare for Sandy and to plan on how to keep officials and residents informed and well-served. For starters, JCP&L is doing what everyone else is doing: closely watching weather forecasts, trying to figure out when and …

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Assembly Panel Advances Stiffer Penalties for Utilities

Outrage over lengthy power outages sparks bipartisan legislation.

The Christie administration and the Legislature appear to be moving in lock step to stiffen penalties for the state’s utilities if they fail to quickly restore power and service after major storms.     With little debate, the Assembly Telecommunications and Utilities Committee unanimously approved a bill with bipartisan backing (A-2760), which largely reflects the key points in a proposal announced by Gov. Chris Christie. Both lawmakers and the administration are unhappy with the response by the state’s four electric utilities to two powerful storms that pummeled the state last year. A record 1.9 million customers were left without power after Hurricane Irene made landfall in New Jersey, and another 1 million customers were left without …

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Joseph Herbert

11:55 pm on Monday, October 8, 2012

And while we're at it, let's get the wire under the street so downed poles and falling trees don't effect the power at all.   more ›

NJ Natural Gas Customers To Get Another Bill Credit

Plentiful gas supplies and a warm winter mean rebates for ratepayers.

Here’s a reason why New Jersey’s energy policy may be shaped by natural gas, at least in the immediate future. The nearly half-million customers of New Jersey Natural Gas will receive another credit next month on their utility bills. When combined with credits from the previous two months, the typical residential ratepayer will see their cumulative bills trimmed by a total of $206, from $558 to $353, a savings of 37 percent. With supplies plentiful and the weather warmer than normal this winter, gas utilities have been handing out credits or rebates this winter like candy at Halloween, or so it seems. Earlier this month, Public Service Electric & Gas said it would provide its own credit to customers’ bills in February, which will save …

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