Remarks
of Seema M. Singh, Esq.
Ratepayer Advocate
Good
morning, Chairman Downes, President Fox, Mr. Kononowitz, Friends, Guests, and
Fellow Consumer Advocates. It is
certainly a pleasure to be here this morning.
One of the perks of being the Ratepayer Advocate is that I get to take part in good news for utility customers. This kickoff by New Jersey Natural Gas of its carbon monoxide detector giveaway program is definitely good news.
Larry, you and the entire company should be congratulated for making carbon monoxide safety in our communities a company priority. As you know, Governor James E. McGreevey took a major step toward that goal when he signed legislation this past April. Sponsored by Senators Barbara Buono and Joseph Vitale, the law requires that C.O. detectors be installed in single-family and two-family homes upon initial occupancy or a change of occupancy.
New Jersey Natural Gas Company’s C.O. detector giveaway and education program accomplishes two very important goals.
First, by offering C.O. detectors at no cost to low-income customers through its CODE campaign, New Jersey Natural Gas Company is providing an important tool to help keep families safe from the potential dangers of C.O. buildup in the home.
It is a tragic statistic that, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, every year, over 200 people in the United States die from C.O. produced by fuel-burning appliances such as furnaces, ranges, water heaters, and room heaters. C.O. poisoning is a preventable tragedy. Using appliances correctly – not using a stove for heating -- having appliances checked to be sure they are operating correctly, being aware of the symptoms of poisoning. knowing what to do if C.O. poisoning is suspected can save lives. By providing C.O. detectors at no cost through the CODE campaign, New Jersey Natural Gas Company is making safety more possible for low-income customers.
this program is also provides an important motivation for Community Programs to sign up more people for New Jersey’s energy assistance programs. To qualify for the free C.O. detectors, NEW JERSEY NATURAL GAS customers must receive heating assistance from Li-HEAP – the low-income Home Energy Assistance Program – or from the Lifeline Assistance Program for seniors and persons with disabilities.
The American Gas Association reports that only about one-fifth of those eligible for li-HEAP benefits are receiving them. I urge all of us here to increase our efforts to ensure that all who need energy assistance receive it.
As you know, the Ratepayer Advocate is an independent state agency that represents and protects the interests of all consumers of natural gas, electric, water, telecommunications, and cable tv service provided by companies approved by the bpu. we also participate in short- and long-term policy-making which affects rates and services. We also assist consumers who come to us come to us with problems and questions. As a response to the many requests for information, we prepared one of our most popular publications – the Consumer Assistance Handbook – which we are distributing. It contains a lot of excellent information that groups such as yourselves can use to assist consumers – from filing a complaint to energy conservation.
I would like to thank Larry Downes and his staff for this excellent program and their efforts to ensure the health and safety of their customers.
thank you.