NEW JERSEY RATEPAYER FUNDED PROGRAMS

CURRENT PROGRAMS

Rate Assistance

Universal Service Fund (USF)

Eligibility: Customer of participating utilities, income 175% FPG, pay more than 6% of income for gas and electricity

Provides bill credits up to $1,800/year, limits customer payment to 3% of income for gas or electric, or 6% if electric heat

Temporary Relief for Utility Expenses (TRUE)

Eligibility: Have not received USF or LIHEAP, overdue notice for gas and/or electricity bills, history of making regular payments toward utility bills

Payment Assistance for Gas and Electric (PAGE)

Eligibility: Have not received USF in past six months or LIHEAP during the heating season, overdue notice for gas and/or electricity bills, and history of making regular payments towards utility bills

Lifeline

Eligibility: Elderly and disabled, including recipients of Supplemental Security Income or eligible for Pharmaceutical Assistance for the Aged and Disabled

Benefit up to $225

Arrears Management

Fresh Start

Eligibility: First-year USF participant with arrears of at least $60

Forgives pre-program arrears if participants pay monthly bills in full and on-time for entire year.

Energy Efficiency

Comfort Partners

Eligibility: Income 225% FPG or less; prioritizes USF participants with high energy use

Measures: efficient lighting, water heater replacement and water conservation measures; refrigerator and freezer replacements; thermostats, insulation upgrades, air sealing, duct sealing and repair, heating/cooling equipment repair and replacement and custom measures

Participating Utilities

USF, Lifeline, TRUE and Comfort Partners: PSE&G, Elizabethtown Gas, NJ Natural Gas, South Jersey Gas, Atlantic City Electric, Jersey Central P&L, Rockland Electric

Annual Funding (2014)

USF: $157.6 million

Fresh Start: $8 million

Lifeline: $66.6 million

TRUE: $672,174

PAGE: $2.2 million

Comfort Partners: $31.7 million

Households Served (2014)

USF: 252,029

Fresh Start: 19,161

Lifeline: 172,924

TRUE: 1,335

PAGE: 2,862

Comfort Partners: 6,054

Funding Mechanism
Societal Benefits Charge - a uniform volumetric charge on all electric and natural gas customers

Administration

USF and Fresh Start: Department of Community Affairs (LIHEAP grantee)

Lifeline: Department of Human Services

TRUE and PAGE: Affordable Housing Alliance

Comfort Partners: Utilities and BPU Office of Clean Energy

LEGISLATION

Authorizing
Electric Discount and Energy Competition Act, created USF

Other Important

Docket # EX00020091, Order dated July 16, 2003, created statewide permanent assistance program and approved USF rates to fund

Comfort Partners - latest budget filing & program details

REPORTS / EVALUATIONS

State Report: New Jersey, from Ratepayer-Funded Low-Income Energy Programs: Performance and Possibilities, APPRISE and Fisher, Sheehan, and Colton, July 2007

Impact Evaluation and Concurrent Process Evaluation of the New Jersey Universal Service Fund, APPRISE, April 2006

New Jersey Comfort Partners Final Evaluation Report, APPRISE, December 2014

CURRENT PROGRAMS
Rate Assistance	Universal Service Fund (USF) Eligibility: Customer of participating utilities, income 175% FPG, pay more than 6% of income for gas and electricity Provides bill credits up to $1,800/year, limits customer payment to 3% of income for gas or electric, or 6% if electric heat Temporary Relief for Utility Expenses (TRUE) Eligibility: Have not received USF or LIHEAP, overdue notice for gas and/or electricity bills, history of making regular payments toward utility bills Payment Assistance for Gas and Electric (PAGE) Eligibility: Have not received USF in past six months or LIHEAP during the heating season, overdue notice for gas and/or electricity bills, and history of making regular payments towards utility bills Lifeline Eligibility: Elderly and disabled, including recipients of Supplemental Security Income or eligible for Pharmaceutical Assistance for the Aged and Disabled Benefit up to $225
Arrears Management	Fresh Start Eligibility: First-year USF participant with arrears of at least $60 Forgives pre-program arrears if participants pay monthly bills in full and on-time for entire year.
Energy Efficiency	Comfort Partners Eligibility: Income 225% FPG or less; prioritizes USF participants with high energy use Measures: efficient lighting, water heater replacement and water conservation measures; refrigerator and freezer replacements; thermostats, insulation upgrades, air sealing, duct sealing and repair, heating/cooling equipment repair and replacement and custom measures
Participating Utilities	USF, Lifeline, TRUE and Comfort Partners: PSE&G, Elizabethtown Gas, NJ Natural Gas, South Jersey Gas, Atlantic City Electric, Jersey Central P&L, Rockland Electric
Annual Funding (2014)	USF: $157.6 million Fresh Start: $8 million Lifeline: $66.6 million TRUE: $672,174 PAGE: $2.2 million Comfort Partners: $31.7 million
Households Served (2014)	USF: 252,029 Fresh Start: 19,161 Lifeline: 172,924 TRUE: 1,335 PAGE: 2,862 Comfort Partners: 6,054
Funding Mechanism	Societal Benefits Charge - a uniform volumetric charge on all electric and natural gas customers
Administration	USF and Fresh Start: Department of Community Affairs (LIHEAP grantee) Lifeline: Department of Human Services TRUE and PAGE: Affordable Housing Alliance Comfort Partners: Utilities and BPU Office of Clean Energy
LEGISLATION
Authorizing	Electric Discount and Energy Competition Act, created USF
Other Important	Docket # EX00020091, Order dated July 16, 2003, created statewide permanent assistance program and approved USF rates to fund Comfort Partners - latest budget filing & program details
REPORTS / EVALUATIONS
State Report: New Jersey, from Ratepayer-Funded Low-Income Energy Programs: Performance and Possibilities, APPRISE and Fisher, Sheehan, and Colton, July 2007 Impact Evaluation and Concurrent Process Evaluation of the New Jersey Universal Service Fund, APPRISE, April 2006 New Jersey Comfort Partners Final Evaluation Report, APPRISE, December 2014