DCA Reminds Residents During Utility Assistance Week that Assistance Is Available

• Posted on: 04/21/2023

Department Is Still Accepting Applications for Energy, Water, and Sewer Assistance

TRENTON, NJ – The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) is reminding residents during Utility Assistance Week that assistance is available to help pay energy, water, and sewer bills. Utility Assistance Week provides an opportunity to raise awareness about existing programs and resources available to households in need of utility assistance to pay past-due bills.

“The Murphy Administration is committed to getting utility assistance out to households that need it so people don’t have to choose between essential expenses like housing, food, medicine, and utilities,” said Lt. Governor Sheila Oliver, who also serves as DCA Commissioner. “Financial help is still available for people who are struggling to pay bills for home heating, drinking water, and sewer service. We urge New Jersey residents to visit the DCA website for more information about the assistance programs and how to apply.”

There are several programs DCA provides to help New Jersey households in need of utility assistance.

The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) helps low- and moderate-income households with their heating bills and provides emergency heating system services and emergency fuel assistance. Families with higher incomes are now eligible for LIHEAP assistance because of increases in federal income limits. For example, the program can help households at or below 60 percent of the state median income, which is $6,662 a month for a family of four. Participants in LIHEAP are automatically eligible for Low Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP) assistance as long as they are water/wastewater bill holders.

The Universal Service Fund (USF) helps make natural gas and electric bills more affordable for low- and moderate-income households. To be eligible, a household’s gross income must be at or below 400 percent of the federal poverty level ($111,000 a year for a family of four) and the household must pay more than 3 percent of its annual income for electric or for natural gas.

The Low Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP) can also help households at or below 60 percent of the state median income reduce the overdue balances they have on their residential water and sewer bills. To be eligible for LIHWAP benefits, households must be responsible for their own water and sewer costs. Funds are provided directly to the water and sewer companies on behalf of the residential customer. The assistance can be used to:

• Restore services where services have been terminated and pay reconnection fees and other charges accrued due to a disconnection; and
• Avoid service disruption for those residential customers who are in danger of disconnection (i.e., received shut-off notices or have past due balances) and to help them afford bill payment going forward.

All of these programs are actively accepting applications.

Households can visit the DCAid portal at www.nj.gov/dca/dcaid to submit an application for assistance. People who do not have access to the internet can call 1-800-510-3102 to be directed to one of the community action agencies partnering with DCA to assist them with starting, completing, and submitting an application online.

DCA offers a wide range of programs and services, including local government management and finance, affordable housing production, fire safety, building safety, community planning and development, disaster recovery and mitigation, and information privacy.

For more information about DCA, visit https://nj.gov/dca/ or follow the Department on social media: