If you are having trouble affording your utility bills, help is available. New Jersey offers a diverse portfolio of utility assistance and energy efficiency programs for low- and moderate-income households. See income limits and program information below:

*If you are income eligible for USF/LIHEAP, apply for those programs first. Then, if still in need, seek additional assistance from the PAGE program.

 **Lifeline determines income in terms of married or single only and is for seniors and the disabled.

The Residential Energy Assistance Payment (REAP) program provides financial relief to eligible New Jersey households through credits automatically applied to their utility bills. NJBPU administers REAP as part of the Sherrill Administration’s efforts to make energy more affordable for New Jersey families. To date, three rounds of REAP credits have been provided to eligible households. Learn More

The Residential Universal Bill Credit (RUBC) provides automatic bill credits to New Jersey residential electric customers to help offset rising electricity costs. Unlike income-based assistance programs, RUBC does not require an application or income qualification. NJBPU first provided RUBC credits in 2025 and approved a second round of credits in 2026 as part of the State’s efforts to provide energy bill relief. If you are an eligible customer and have not received the credit, please contact your electric utility. 

The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) has a variety of programs that can help you with utility bills, rent, and removal of lead hazards from your home. Use the anonymous DCAid screening tool to determine if you are eligible for assistance and for more information on how to apply.  

The Universal Service Fund (USF) provides monthly credits on electric and gas bills to help make bills more affordable. Credit amounts are primarily based on the amount you spend on energy over a certain percentage of income. All income eligible participants receive a minimum monthly credit of $20 on their gas and/or electric bill. The maximum monthly credit is $200 for gas and electric combined.

USF-Fresh Start: Eligible USF electric and gas customers with overdue balances of $60 or more will be automatically enrolled by their utility company into the Fresh Start program when they enroll in the USF program. Fresh Start provides forgiveness on the overdue balance amount that existed at the time of USF enrollment. Fresh Start is available once every five years. The gas and electric utility companies administer the Fresh Start program with oversight by the BPU.

How do I receive Fresh Start forgiveness for my overdue balance? Each month a USF-Fresh Start customer pays  their current monthly charges in full, 1/12 of their Fresh Start overdue balance will be forgiven by the utility company. The utility company will send information to Fresh Start customers when they are enrolled explaining how the program works and updates regarding their status in the program. The customer should call their utility company with any Fresh Start questions but can reach out to the Board of Public Utilities at (800) 624-0241 or file a complaint online at: www.nj.gov/bpu/assistance/complaints if the customer cannot resolve the issue with their utility company.

How do I apply for USF and USF-Fresh Start?*

• Apply online at www.nj.gov/dca/dcaid and upload all required documents.
• Check email regularly for application status updates or check on the status by logging back into the website.
• Click here for Frequently Asked Questions about USF.
• For further information: energyassistance.nj.gov
• Call the NJ Utility Assistance hotline at (800) 510-3102 to:
• Find your local USF/LIHEAP application agency or utility payment center if you need help completing your application.
• Follow up on the status of your application
• If you are disabled and homebound, request a home visit for assistance in completing your application. 

USF shares its application with the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP/HEAP). You can apply for both programs at the same time during the LIHEAP season (10/1 - 6/30), or apply online for USF only during the summer months.

*You cannot apply for Fresh Start. If you are eligible you will be enrolled by your utility company and receive information about it in the mail.

USF is administered by the Department of Community Affairs. Fresh Start is administered by the utility companies with oversight by NJBPU.

The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP/HEAP) helps New Jersey households pay for heating costs, medically-necessary cooling expenses and emergency funds. Renters who have their heating costs included in their rent may also qualify. LIHEAP provides help for gas, electric, deliverable fuels and qualifying heater repairs and replacements. Applications for LIHEAP are accepted from October 1 through June 30 while funds last. The LIHEAP program shares its application with the USF program. For application options, please see above “How do I apply for USF and USF-Fresh Start?” or visit here.

LIHEAP is administered by the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs.

The Payment Assistance for Gas and Electric (PAGE) Program provides relief on gas and electric bills for low- to moderate-income New Jersey households (see income limits above). Those who are income-eligible for USF should apply for that program first before seeking supplemental assistance from PAGE. To self-screen for program eligibility, apply online, or print an application, please visit www.sharesnation.org or call 1-866-657-4273.

PAGE administered by SHARES Nation, Inc. but is made possible by the New Jersey Department of the Treasury and is subject to availability of funds.

Note: Households with undocumented individuals may apply for USF, PAGE and LIHEAP as described above. Please note that while LIHEAP requires at least one household member to have a social security number, this is not a requirement for the USF and PAGE programs. For more information, call 2-1-1.

SHARES also provides assistance to income-eligible New Jersey households for paying their energy, telephone, broadband (internet), water, wastewater, property tax, rent and mortgage bills. Municipal utility grants for water, sewer and electricity also available to customers of partnering municipalities. For more information, call 1-866-657-4273 or visit www.sharesnation.org/programs.

The Winter Termination Program protects specific categories of customers from having their water, wastewater, gas or electricity shut off between November 15 and March 15 of each year.

These categories include:

1.   Recipients of benefits under the Lifeline Credit Program;

2.   Recipients of benefits under the Federal Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP);

3.   Recipients of Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF);

4.   Recipients of Federal Supplemental Security Income (SSI);

5.   Recipients of Pharmaceutical Assistance to the Aged and Disabled (PAAD);

6.   Recipients of General Assistance (GA) benefits;

7.   Recipients of the Universal Service Fund (USF);

8.   Applicants of the Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program or any other State, local, or utility program that provides assistance or discounted rates specifically to help eligible customers pay wastewater or water bills that may exist at that time; or

9.   Residential customers who are unable to pay their utility bills because of circumstances beyond their control. Such circumstances shall include, but shall not be limited to, unemployment, illness, medically related expenses, recent death of an immediate family member, and any other circumstances, which might cause financial hardship. These residential customers shall be permitted to self-certify to the utility or Division of Customer Assistance of the Board of an inability to pay their public utility bill.

Please call your utility company to request WTP protection. If you have any questions about WTP the utility cannot answer, call NJBPU at (800) 624-0241. 

The Winter Termination Program is administered by NJBPU.

Gas, electric, water, and wastewater customers may request reconnection of service once per year, per utility service, with proof of application to USF, LIHEAP, PAGE, or any other State, local or utility assistance program that provides assistance or discounted rates. Customer must first make a down-payment of up to 25% of the outstanding balance.

Be a smart consumer, know your rights. Read the Utility Customer Bill of Rights.

Lifeline provides an annual $225 energy benefit to qualified seniors and the disabled. The benefit can help eligible homeowners and renters with electric and/or natural gas costs. You can apply for Lifeline by using the NJSAVE application, available at  www.aging.nj.gov. For more information about Lifeline, call 1-800-792-9745, or click here. 

Lifeline is administered by the New Jersey Department of Human Services (DHS).

New Jersey Comfort Partners is a free program that helps income-eligible customers reduce their utility bills by implementing measures at no cost to them. Through Comfort Partners, NJBPU and your electric and natural gas utilities partner with you to lower your energy use and utility bills, improve your comfort, and increase the health and safety of your home. For more information, click here or call (866) 378-4345.

Under community solar, no solar panels are installed on your roof or property. In a community solar project, a utility customer can sign up as a participant to a solar installation located elsewhere. Both renters and homeowners can sign up, and your utility company does not change. Subscribers receive credit directly on their utility bill for the electricity created by the solar panels. For more information, call 866-NJSMART (866-657-6278) or click here.

Sponsored by the NJ Board of Public Utilities' New Jersey Clean Energy Program.

• Verizon New Jersey - If you are a Verizon New Jersey customer, please call NJSHARES at 1-888-337-3339, or visit https://njshares.org/telecommunications/
• CenturyLink/United Telephone Company of New Jersey – 1-800-201-4099 – www.centurylink.com/Pages/Support/LifeLine
• Tracfone- 1-800-977-3768 - www.safelink.com
• Virgin Mobile- 1-888-898-4888, or visit www.assurancewireless.com
• Truconnect- 1-800-430-0443, or visit  www.truconnect.com
• Xchange- 1-877-853-3443  www.xchangetele.com
• Q-Link Wireless- 1-855-754-6543, or visit  www.qlinkwireless.com
• Telrite- 1-888-543-3620, or visit www.lifewireless.com
• Terracom- 1-888-716-8880, or visit www.terracomwireless.com
• Tempo- 1-833-998-3676, or visit www.mytempo.com
• Infinity Mobile- 1-888-801-0012, or visit www.infinitimobile.com
• Dish Wireless- 1-833-528-1380, or visit www.genmobile.com
• Tag Mobility-  1-(424) 219-5670  or visit Free Government Phones & Tablets - Lifeline Program - TAG Mobile

Summer Termination Program (STP) shut off protections are in effect each June 15th-August 31st for residential electric, water and sewer customers within the protected categories covered by the Board's Winter Termination Program's rules and regulations (see "Winter Termination Program" listed above).

New Jersey Natural Gas provides its Gift of Warmth fund as a one-time grant of up to $500 to help residential customers experiencing unanticipated financial hardship. Gift of Warmth can reconnect service or prevent disconnection. If you have an overdue balance with New Jersey Natural Gas that you cannot pay, start your application process today: click here or call 800-221-0051 and say "energy assistance" at the prompt.