N.J.S.A. 48:3-86.2 — "Energy Bill Watch", electricity, gas usage, cost notification.

48:3-86.2 "Energy Bill Watch", electricity, gas usage, cost notification. 2. a. No later than 90 days following the effective date of P.L.2025, c.47 (C.48:3-86.1 et. seq.), each electric public utility and each gas public utility that uses smart meters to record customers' electricity or gas usage information shall establish a program, which program shall be called "Energy Bill Watch," to notify a smart meter customer of the customer's electricity or gas usage as provided in subsection b. of this section. b. Under an "Energy Bill Watch" program established pursuant to subsection a. of this section, an electric public utility or a gas public utility shall, at a minimum: (1) notify a customer during the week of the 10th day of each billing cycle via, at the customer's discretion, text message or electronic mail, of the cost in dollars of the customer's electricity or gas usage for the billing cycle up to the time at most two days before which the notification is sent and the amount in kilowatt hours or therms of the customer's electricity or gas usage for the billing cycle up to the time at most two days before which the notification is sent; (2) notify a customer during the week of the 20th day of each billing cycle via, at the customer's discretion, text message or electronic mail, of the cost in dollars of the customer's electricity or gas usage for the billing cycle up to the time at most two days before which the notification is sent and the amount in kilowatt hours or therms of the customer's electricity or gas usage for the billing cycle up to the time at most two days before which the notification is sent; (3) provide a customer the option to set a threshold dollar value for the cost of electric or gas service at which the electric or gas public utility will notify the customer via the customer's selection of text message or electronic mail that the customer has reached the threshold dollar value based on the customer's electricity or gas usage for that billing cycle; and (4) provide a customer with the option to receive a separate notification each billing cycle that compares the customer's average daily electricity or gas usage from that billing cycle with the customer's average daily electricity or gas usage from the previous billing cycle or from the same billing cycle in the previous calendar year. c. An electric public utility or a gas public utility shall: (1) advertise the electric public utility's or gas public utility's "Energy Bill Watch" program through multiple methods, including, but not limited to: (a) electronic mail; (b) posts on social media platforms; (c) the electric public utility's or gas public utility's Internet website; and (d) bills to customers who possess smart meters; (2) notify all smart meter customers via bill insert or electronic mail when the electric public utility's or gas public utility's "Energy Bill Watch" program is available for customers and include in the notification: (a) information about how the customer may choose to receive program notifications pursuant to subsection b. of this section via text message; and (b) the choice to opt out of the program; (3) automatically enroll all smart meter customers in the program; (4) include in a customer's first notification provided pursuant to subsection b. of this section guidance on how the customer can customize notifications or opt out of the "Energy Bill Watch" program; and (5) if a smart meter customer does not express the customer's preference to receive notifications provided pursuant to subsection b. of this section via text message or via electronic mail, send notifications pursuant to subsection b. of this section via electronic mail. L.2025, c.47, s.2; amended 2025, c.99, s.2.

This is the verbatim text of N.J.S.A. 48:3-86.2, retrieved from the New Jersey Legislature's public statute corpus. Statutes are amended periodically — for the most current version, check the external source link above. Kyzer is not a law firm and this page is not legal advice.