N.J. Ratepayer Advocate Calls Settlement for Crestwood Village Water Company “Fair”

Newark, N.J.—Ratepayer Advocate Seema M. Singh today called a settlement agreement for the Crestwood Village Water Company “fair.” The settlement lowers by 11.15 percent the revenue increase request of the company.

The Board of Public Utilities (BPU) yesterday approved the settlement, which had been negotiated by the BPU staff and the Ratepayer Advocate.

“The settlement protects the interests of the ratepayers in Crestwood Village Water Company’s service territory and will allow the company to continue to provide safe, adequate and proper water service to its customers,” said Singh.

In December 2004, Crestwood Village Water Company originally requested a revenue increase of $332,367, which would have resulted in a 27.63 percent increase over their current revenue. However, the company, which provides water service to some 9,600 customers in Manchester, Ocean County, will receive the lower revenue increase of $140,000 as stipulated in the settlement.

The Division of the Ratepayer Advocate is an independent state agency that represents the interests of utility consumers and serves as an active participant in every case whenever New Jersey utilities seek changes in their rates or services. The Ratepayer Advocate also gives consumers a voice in setting long-range energy, water, and telecommunications policy that will affect the delivery of utility services well into the future.

Additional information on this and other matters can be found at the Division of Ratepayer Advocate’s website at http://www.rpa.state.nj.us

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