The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) today issued a scam alert warning residents about fraudulent calls targeting the recently approved $100 bill credit for residential electric customers served by New Jersey’s electric investor-owned utilities: Public Service Electric and Gas, Jersey Central Power and Light, Atlantic City Electric, and Rockland Electric Company.
The NJBPU has received reports of unsolicited calls from scammers posing as utility representatives who request personal and financial information to “sign up” customers for the credit. The NJBPU emphasizes that no legitimate representative will call customers to enroll them in this program.
These calls are fraudulent attempts to steal personal information. The $100 credit is automatically applied to eligible electric accounts—customers do not need to take any action to receive it. All 3.9 million residential electric ratepayers in New Jersey are eligible for this credit. The credit will be distributed in two $50 installments appearing on utility bills in September and October.
About the Bill Credit Program
The $100 residential universal bill credit is part of a $430 million relief package designed to help New Jersey residents manage high energy costs. These increased costs stem primarily from higher capacity prices in the PJM wholesale electric market, which have significantly impacted utility bills statewide.
The PJM capacity market compensates power generators to ensure an adequate electricity supply for future demand. Recent substantial price increases in this regional market have driven up utility bills across the 14-jurisdiction region that serves 65 million residents.
To help offset these higher costs, the State is offering the $100 Residential Universal Bill Credit (RUBC) for all residential customer in addition to the income-based Residential Energy Assistance Payment (REAP), which provides an additional $175 credit to qualified customers. Together, the RUBC and REAP credits serve as a key short-term component of the State’s broader response to rising electricity costs.
Residents who receive suspicious calls or need additional information should contact the NJBPU Customer Assistance Division at 800-624-0241.
