Sky-high electric bill this month? All of NJ suffering consequences

Why are electric bills — for those without solar — unbelievably high in New Jersey this summer?

That’s what throngs of residents have been commiserating about on social media since June bills proved to be double or more their average.

June was the first month that reflected rate increases approved over the winter by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities for the state's four largest electric utilities.

Those increases impacted four million customers across New Jersey.

Customers shared their sticker shock to the New Jersey 101.5 Facebook page.

Of course, the “double whammy,” as one person put it, has been the unusually high daily temperatures seen for much of this summer.

RELATED: Big electric bill rate hikes hit 4 million NJ customers

“Statewide, June 2024 was tied for the second hottest June since detailed record-keeping began in 1895,” according to New Jersey 101.5 Chief Meteorologist Dan Zarrow.

“Compare that to June 2023, which was unusually cool, due partially to the Canadian wildfire smoke incident.”

Zarrow said based on data from the Office of the New Jersey State Climatologist, the New Brunswick weather station was tied Tuesday for the fourth hottest July on record.

Temperatures for June were also on pace for the sixth hottest at Newark, the fifth hottest at Trenton and 12th hottest at Atlantic City Airport (Egg Harbor Township).

“So yes, it has been an unusually, uncomfortably hot summer so far. By the numbers, one of the hottest on record," Zarrow said.

The sustained heat caused more folks to use air conditioning and other electricity to beat the heat at the exact time that the four biggest utility companies were rolling out the rate hikes, set after a winter auction with the NJBPU.

Jersey Central Power & Light customers have seen about an 8.6% increase, while Public Service Electric & Gas rates went up 6.2%.

Atlantic City Electric customers have seen the 4.8% hike approved in February, while North Jersey customers of Rockland Electric were dealt a 3.6% increase.

There was also the switch from winter to summer electric rates, which is another typical increase for NJ residential customers.

FirstEnergy, the parent company of JCP&L, has an example of the seasonal rate difference as part of five models of pricing.

Additional rate hike

As if the heat waves and rate increases weren’t enough, JCP&L customers in June were also hammered with a separate base rate hike that started in June.

"A typical residential customer with 777 kWh average monthly usage would be an increase of $4.26, or 3.6% compared to rates in effect as of Jan. 1, 2024," according to the settlement with the utility that the BPU separately signed off on in February.

The combination increase from the wholesale electric auction and the base rate settlement for JCP&L customers was actually closer to 14.1%, Asbury Park Press reported in May.

Officials with the BPU point struggling residents to the state’s Utility Assistance Programs.

Among state resources is an income-eligible program called Comfort Partners.

To qualify, a family of four must be living on a yearly income of $78,000.

“It is not a record-breaking year for heat for New Jersey — but it is very close. And with the entire month of August coming up, and many more hot days in the forecast, air conditioners statewide will continue to get a workout for the foreseeable future,” Zarrow said.

Report a correction 👈 | 👉 Contact our newsroom