Kathy Hochul announced the vast majority of $567 million dedicated to help low-income electric and gas utility customers pay off past utility bills will be reflected on customers' August bills. "It's just very difficult that the PSC wouldn't allow us to use our same tools," said Bessette. More than 1 million customers were eligible for termination when Wolf sent the letter a month ago. The fact sheet describes what is currently known of the program and will be updated as HHS releases more information. For additional FAQs about NJBPU's processes during the COVID-19 statewide response, click here. Since it has not been referenced in any subsequent proclamations, the guidance may not have any legal effect. The feedback will only be used for improving the website. The AGO encourages you to contact your electric or gas utility if the recent COVID-19 crisis has significantly impacted your household income because you may be newly eligible for other assistance programs. Changes for 2022 Annual Reporting for Cash Basis Entities, Integrating Best Available Science: New Tools for Land Use Planning & Emergency Management, resources for utility customers behind on their payments, Collection Practices for Delinquent Utility Accounts, A Quick Guide to Utility Account Overcharges, Undercharges, and the Statute of Limitations. The bill also extends the time for cities and counties to impose a sewage lien: A sewage lien may exceed six months' delinquent charges without the necessity of any writing or recording if collection of charges was impacted by the declaration of an emergency by the governor. But if you are falling behind on utilities, get help as soon as possible so you are not shut off. John Fetterman, a progressive who is running for U.S. Senate in 2022, said utility companies should be cooperative and understanding with Pennsylvanians in need. of King v. Ne. Water Utilities Will Not Be Able To Disconnect Service After PSC Vote. On June 14, Governor Murphy announced that the moratorium on utility service shutoffs will end as of July 1, 2021. If your household income is between 60 to 80% of the state median income, you may be able to receive help from theGood Neighbor Energy Fund. The Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) is a federally funded program that helps low-income homeowners and renters pay for utility and heating bills. At least one of those states (Wisconsin) is set to end its moratorium on April 15, placing over 20,000 households at risk of shutoff. Gavin Newsom went into effect in March 2020, the utilities commission announced power companies could not disconnect services to customers for one year. Nowak has previously urged the commission to work with the Evers administration to provide assistance to water customers in need through CARES Act funding. Sign up today for a digital subscription. We know this has been an extremely difficult time for our customers. The financial effect of the pandemic has hit utility customers hard in California, a state that is home to one of the highest electricity rates in the country. Utilities will continue to provide assistance programs. keep you informed with the latest alerts and progress reports. A lock icon ( For FAQs on the end of the moratorium and the six-month grace period, click here. She said utility workers shut off her electricity over the weekend for non-payment going back several months. But, thewinter moratorium doesnot apply to water utilities. We know the effects of COVID are still very much front and center for many consumers, Commissioner Clifford Rechtschaffen said. "I'm charging my cell phone in my truck when I can. The utility shutoff grace period ended on March 15, 2022 for all water, electric, and sewer customers. She can be reached at 717-480-1783 or on Twitter at @candynotcandace. Want to know more about the team behind MRSC or contact a specific staff member? By February 25, 2021, IOUs shall submit drafts of Transition Plan Advice Letters to CPUC staff (, Jan. 22, 2021: Comments on Draft Resolution M-4849. And commissioners said utility companies told them many customers had not set up plans for repayment during the moratorium. Based on the plain language of the proclamations this is how we think they affect the utilities once the prohibitions expire. If you need help paying your utility bills or your arrears, visit the Board of Public Utilities' Assistance Programs page. Utilities also offer another way to stay on top of your bills called budget billing. Commissioner Martha Guzman Aceves said the regulator is trying to be responsive to this really dynamic situation that were in, in recovering from this pandemic.. February 27 2023, Integrating Best Available Science: New Tools for Land Use Planning & Emergency Management Enrollment does not prevent customers from accessing other financial programs that can help them reduce utility debt. The Public Service Commission voted unanimously Thursday to end the moratorium. San Diego Gas & Electric residential customer bills. The more you pay now the less you will have to make up later. Six utilities serving more than 21 million Californians have announced that they will not shut off customers' power for non-payment as the coronavirus continues to disrupt daily life. Also ask your electric or gas utility if you qualify for an arrearage forgiveness program or any other payment assistance program. Even without the moratorium on shutoffs, most utility companies have been generous this year. If you are struggling to pay your electric or gas utility bills, reach out to your utility to discuss available payment plans, arrearage forgiveness programs and other payment assistance programs. March 1 2023, Changes for 2022 Annual Reporting for Cash Basis Entities It may also violate the prohibition againstdiscriminating among similarly situated ratepayers [Hous. Details wont be finalized until the governor approves the budget and the commission will take the $1 billion payments into consideration in a later proceeding. In its decision, the commission said the combination of the moratorium extension and the two-year amortization plans will relieve customers of the threat of disconnection and put them on a path toward solvency.. Moratoriums on electric shutoffs now expiring, Despite the continuing pandemic, Duke and other utilities are now disconnecting customers falling behind, as state moratoriums expire. Upcoming TrainingsAttend our live webinars, virtual workshops, and in-person trainings to learn about key local government issues! The order protects consumers who may not be able to pay for their water service from shutoffs. You, or someone in your home, is seriously ill; You have an infant under 12 months in your home; and, All adults in the home are age 65 or older, Customers who are interested in installing solar panels or enrolling with community solar programs should visit the AGs Office FAQ with consumer tips at, This chart from the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), In addition to requesting assistance from your electric or gas utility, residential customers should also contact their local community action agency, as there may be funds available to assist households who earn more than 60 % of the state median income, but still need assistance paying their bills. Stay informed with WPR's email newsletter. Henry McMaster urged the companies in a . Customers with higher income levels will be offered payment plans of at least one or two years. Electricity and Gas are essential servicesthats why it is important that customers know their rights and where they can go for help if they need it. Customers should make payments toward their utility bills if they can. This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. Links to the 2020 briefing decks presented to CPUC and CAL FIRE can be found on the utility websites below. Please see below for contact numbers for each investor-owned electric and gas utility. during these challenging times. New Jersey also has a COVID-19 Hotline staffed by trained healthcare professionals who are standing by to answer your questions, 24 hours a day/ 7 days a week: To receive email updates from NJBPU,sign up here. An official website of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, This page, Frequently Asked Questions about Electric and Gas Utilities, is, Frequently Asked Questions about Electric and Gas Utilities. If you are a residential customer struggling to pay your utility bills, behind on your payments, or interested in more regular payments, reach out to your electric or gas utility to discuss available payment plans and payment assistance programs that may be available. So, late fees for commercial customers were also prohibited during the emergency. The Wolf Administration is working to get money provided by the December stimulus package and the American Rescue Plan in March out to qualifying renters and utility customers as quickly as possible to help with overdue balances, the governors press secretary Lyndsay Kensinger said. To leave anyone, especially children who rely on utilities to attend virtual school, without electricity or heat is unconscionable when these companies have guaranteed income and millions in revenue.. When the remaining state or local moratoria are lifted, residential water customers who lose shutoff protections will face billions of dollars in arrears. For more information, please visit https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/. Under the terms of the CPUC's vote, utility companies will automatically enroll residential customers who are more than 60 days behind on their energy bills to a "COVID-19 Residential Relief. "It just makes this problem compounding for the individual, and it's making the utility look like more of a bad guy in my eyes.". For county-owned utilities, RCW 36.94.150 authorizes a lien for sewerage and water. of King v. Ne. Why is my BGE bill so high 2021? The move comes after S.C. Gov. Thanks for signing up. Whats your favorite San Diego County beach? Keep updated on the latest news and information. The Biden Administration and Congress have not acted on urgent calls to ban water shutoffs during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, if a customer misses more than two payments in their COVID-19 relief plan, they can be kicked out of the plan. Southern states are more frequently turning to pay-to-use express lanes as a way to address highway congestion without raising taxes. Have a problem?Send me an email, at jmatarese@wcpo.com or message me on Facebook. Heres how to apply, Suspicions of manipulation in the natural gas market? In addition to your utility, you can contact the Department of Public Utilitiesat877-886-5066, or completetheir online complaint form. Do we have to have a location open during this time to accept papers? In California and New York City alone, for example, residential water arrears total over $1.6 billion, with over 1.7 million households affected. Fields, meanwhile, has applied for pandemic aid through the state. Global travelers on Tripadvisor platform rank Coronado No. The financial impact of the pandemic has been devastating for many in our community and helping our customers by providing flexible payment options and access to bill assistance resources has been a priority for us, Prince said in an email. , SDG&E spokeswoman Sara Prince said the utility supports the CPUCs moves. Here are prices in 10 communities, Charge by night, discharge by day: Electric school buses in El Cajon will send power to the grid, VMware, Broadcom rise; Marvell, Bumble fall, Initial public offerings scheduled to debut next week, Closing prices for crude oil, gold and other commodities, The implications of Walgreens decision on abortion pills, Nan Goldin is going to the Oscars, and she wants to win, World Bank: Quake caused damage worth $5.1 billion in Syria. All in all, 83 out of 578 water utilities submitted plans to shut off service for more than 9,500 customers. 2023 Cox Media Group. Any person who is making good faith efforts should never have their services shut off, he said. Last month, Ayanna McClure learned how quickly landlords were filing eviction notices when the moratoriums expired. Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, https://www.dhs.pa.gov/coronavirus/Pages/Emergency-Rental-Assistance-Program.aspx, Fully vaccinated Pennsylvanians can gather without masks, but only in these situations, COVID-19 vaccine motivation: Krispy Kreme is giving away free doughnuts for showing vaccination card, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. SDG&E asking regulator to increase rates starting next year, Heres how much lower your SDG&E bill might be in March, SDG&E kicks in $16 million of shareholder funds to help financially strapped customers, Behind on your SDG&E utility bill? With one call or click you can get a personalized answer from one of our trusted attorneys, policy consultants, or finance experts! The state regulator also approved a plan that requires utilities including San Diego Gas & Electric to automatically enroll customers who are lagging on monthly payments into a two-year debt relief program. Most Massachusetts investor-owned electric and gas utility companies offer deferred payment arrangements which allow the customer to set up a customized, manageable payment plan. In the first quarter of this year, more than 3.3 million residential customers of the states big four utilities have fallen behind on their bills: Applying SDG&Es figure to its overall residential customer total of about 1.326 million, that means 36.6 percent of SDG&E residential customers are in arrears. We will MRSC is a private nonprofit organization serving local governments in Washington State. But this part-time warehouse worker says she was battling COVID, and was out of work for weeks. In these unsettling and unprecedented times, many people are Many customers financial situations have changed during the pandemic. (Rob Nikolewski/The San Diego Union-Tribune), Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, California Public Utilities Commission passed an extension, extended the moratorium earlier this year, one of the highest electricity rates in the country, California Alternate Rates for Energy, or CARE, and the Family Electric Rates Assistance, or FERA programs, Is your utility bill going to get even higher? With clear criteria, the governing body can delegate the authority to write-off the debt to staff without further involvement from the governing body. A map from the National Association of Utility Regulators (NARUC) shows there are now 38 states where the moratorium on shutoffs has expired or is voluntary for utility companies. Those moratoriums are running out, and thousands of unemployed people plus others still battling COVID-19 are running out of options. Meanwhile, utility customers have amassed large, unpaid bills, as a majority of the state has been working from home and using more energy. She cited lower unemployment and COVID-19 infection rates, and pointed to the latest federal stimulus among the reasons the moratorium could be lifted. Under these programs, your city or town negotiates a supply rate with a competitive supplier for its residents. These pages cover more specific details that depend on the type of utility, and its critical that you use the right tools for your specific type of jurisdiction and type of utility. You can alsofile a consumer complaintwith the Attorney General's Consumer Advocacy and Response Division or by calling our hotline at 617-727-8400. Southern California Edison, Pacific Gas & Electric, San Diego Gas & Electric and Pacific Power are taking the step until further notice. The proclamations did not prohibit disconnecting sewer and storm services (if practical) for non-payment. May 7, 2020: Free and affordable Internet access and devices are crucial for low income students as they transition to learning from home as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Consumer advocates and those who manage programs to assist customers, such as the Dollar Energy Fund, are warning those facing shutoff notices to not wait until the last minute to get help. The policy should provide clear criteria for allowing the debt to be written off and should apply to all types of accounts receivable (water, sewer, garbage, court fines, and other fees and charges that the utility may impose). Final Transition Plan Advice Letters available on. The bill now heads to the Senate for consideration. Customers who need payment assistance should contact their utility as soon as possibleto ask about Deferred Payment Agreements (DPAs), and to learn what other assistance is available. According to research at Indiana University that looked at a nationally representative sample of households below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level, 20% of Black households and 28% of Hispanic households reported being unable to pay an energy bill between June and August 2020, compared to just 12% of white households. The electric utilities are responsible for operating their systems, including the decision to conduct a Public Safety Power Shutoff as a last resort. She is borrowing electricity from down the hall to keep her food from spoiling. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the official website. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has not announced program rules or released funds to the states. June 17, 2020: The CPUC presented its COVID-19 response. Customers who are interested in installing solar panels or enrolling with community solar programs should visit the AGs Office FAQ with consumer tips at mass.gov/ago/solar. OLYMPIA, WA - With a bipartisan 64-31 vote, the Washington State House passed a bill to ensure a utility operator cannot shut off power or water when the National Weather Service issues a heat-related warning or alert.