This bill establishes new requirements for public utilities in New Jersey regarding rate increases. It mandates that any public utility filing a petition with the Board of Public Utilities (BPU) for a rate increase must notify affected customers through bill inserts or newspaper publications. The notice must include a summary of the filing, the reasoning behind it, and its impact on customers. Additionally, the public utility is required to send a plain language summary of the BPU's final decision to affected customers, with specific timelines depending on whether the decision results in a rate increase or not.

Furthermore, the bill amends existing law to require the BPU to respond in writing to questions from the public that arise during hearings related to significant rate changes. This response must occur within 14 days following the final hearing. The bill aims to enhance transparency and communication between public utilities and their customers, ensuring that ratepayers are adequately informed about changes that may affect their utility costs.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 48:2-32.6