Help Available For Gloucester Twp Residents Who Need Help Paying Bills

NEW JERSEY — A recent DoxoInsights report indicated that New Jersey residents spent about $2,610 monthly — or 36 percent of their monthly income — on household bills.

Only residents of Hawaii and California spend more on their monthly bills, and "87 percent of all Americans worry about their ability to pay their bills if inflation rates continue to rise," the report also said.

For many Garden State Residents, it is possible the worrying regarding the ability to pay has already begun.

There are more than 903,000 residential gas and electric customers in New Jersey, who as a whole, owe utility companies more than $700 million, according to the state Board of Public Utilities.

There are also more than 156,000 overdue residential water accounts, which collectively owe roughly $50 million, the state Board of Public Utilities continued.

Although the exact reason those bills were unpaid went beyond the scope of the state Board of Public Utilities' announcement, recent data suggest the amount owed on some utility bills,
like the average cost of a gallon of gasoline, has increased over the past 12 months.

Specifically, a different DoxoInsights report indicated that when comparing April 2021 bills to April 2022 bills for some of the most frequently used utilities in the United States, gas bills increased 11 percent, electric increased 5 percent and water and sewer increased 3 percent.

For some, the warmer weather may raise their bills higher still, which is all the more reason
to ask for help, a member of Gov. Murphy's administration said.

"We know there are still many New Jerseyans who are behind on paying their utilities and we're encouraging them to apply for assistance as we approach the summer months," said Lieutenant Governor Sheila Oliver.

"Electricity and running water are absolutely essential for the health and well-being of everyone and we don't want to see anyone lose access to these critical services."

The best thing customers can do if they are falling behind on their bills is to let their utility company know as soon as possible that they are experiencing financial difficulties and/or ask for the help that Oliver alluded to, Erin Banes, an external affairs specialist at American Water, said in an interview.

"It's okay to ask for help," she said in an interview with Patch. "We will be here to assist them in finding a solution; they just need to reach out. We want to help our customers pay their bills in a way that works for their budget and we can help them do that."

Several state agencies consulted for this story noted that the COVID-19 pandemic spurred some assistance programs to modify their application requirements. In other words, even if you were turned down for some types of financial assistance before, it may not hurt to try again.

A few financial assistance programs that New Jersey residents may qualify for are listed below.

Water Bill Assistance

Low Income Housing Water Assistance Program is a federally-funded program that covers some customers' water bills, according to Banes. Additional information about the program, its eligibility requirements and applications can be found by clicking here.

There is also the H2O Help to Others Program, Banes continued. One component of this program offers a potential grant of up to $500 to help pay indoor water bills, while the second component is a potential 100 percent discount on monthly fixed service charges for water, she continued. More details about the program and qualifications, as well as applications are available at apply.njsharesgreen.org.

Gas And Electric Bill Help

One website, njpoweron.org, provides multiple gas and electric assistance programs on the same
page, including the Universal Service Fund (USF), Low Income Heating Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and Payment Assistance for Gas and Electric (PAGE) to cut down on the clicking, according to the New Jersey's Board of Public Utilities website.

USF and LIHEAP "are actively accepting applications," Tammori C. Petty-Dixon, Director of
Communications at the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, told Patch.

Those who know their way around a toolbox and/or think they might need assistance with their gas and electric bills for some time may want to check out the Weatherization Assistance Program and Lead-Safe Home Remediation Pilot Program that can be found on this page of the New Jersey's Department of Community Affairs website.

Additional financial assistance programs can be found by googling phrases such as 'need help paying water bill,' 'falling behind on electric bill' or similar verbiage.

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