Customer Assistance

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. Credits are based on the amount you spend on energy that are over a certain percentage of income.

USF-Fresh Start: Once every five years, any USF enrollee 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.

How do I receive Fresh Start forgiveness for my overdue balance? Each month a USF-Fresh Start customer pays only their current monthly charges in full, 1/12 of their Fresh Start overdue balance will be forgiven by the utility company. (Some utility companies forgive ¼ of the customer’s overdue balance once every three months). 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?

You can apply for USF in any of the following ways:*

• Click hereto print the application. Complete, sign, and mail or email to your local application agency with all required documents (see application for list of required documents).
• Apply online at nj.gov/dca/dcaidand upload all required documents (online application available 10/1-8/31)
• For further information go to: energyassistance.nj.gov.
• Call the NJ Utility Assistance hotline at 800-510-3102 to:
  • Have an application mailed to you
  • Find your local application agency
  • Follow up on the status of your application
  • If you are disabled/homebound, request a home visit for assistance in completing your application 

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

Note: You cannot apply for Fresh Start, but if you are eligible you will be enrolled by your utility company and receive information about Fresh Start in the mail.

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

The Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) helps New Jersey households pay for heating costs and certain medically-necessary cooling expenses. Renters who have their heating costs included in their rent may also qualify. Applications for HEAP are accepted from October 1st through June 30th. The HEAP program shares its application with the USF program. For application options please see above “How do I apply for USF and USF-Fresh Start?”

HEAP 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 USF first before seeking supplemental assistance from PAGE. To self-screen for program eligibility, apply online, or print an application, please visit www.njshares.org or call 1-866-657-4273.

NJ SHARES also provides assistance to income-eligible New Jersey households for paying their energy, telephone, broadband (internet), water, tax, rent and mortgage bills. For more information, call 1-866-657-4273 or visit www.njshares.org.

PAGE is administered by New Jersey SHARES

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

These categories include:

1. Lifeline Credit Program;
2. Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP)
3. Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF);
4. Federal Supplemental Security Income (SSI);
5. Pharmaceutical Assistance to the Aged and Disabled (PAAD);
6. General Assistance (GA) benefits;
7. Universal Service Fund (USF); or
8. Persons 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.

Please call your utility company to request WTP protection. If you have any questions about WTP the utility cannot answer, please call the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities at: 800-624-0241.

The Winter Termination Program is administered by NJBPU.

Lifeline provides an annual 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).

The New Jersey Comfort Partners Program is a free program that helps income-eligible customers reduce their utility bills through implementing cost effective measures which save energy and money while improving their home's safety and comfort at no cost to them. Through Comfort Partners, the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) and your electric and natural gas utilities partner with you to reduce 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 (800) 915-8309 (option 1).