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Bill

S 4096

Establishes additional procedures to be followed by industrial development agencies prior to making development loans

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Kevin Parker and 1 co-sponsor

Prohibits rate hikes to recover smart meter costs and requires transparent, timely disclosures, plus protections against disconnections and late fees for large increases.

REFERRED TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT
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Bill Summary · S 4096

Summary of S 4096 (Introduced Version)

Note: The bill’s official title references industrial development agencies, but the introduced text provided concerns electric public utilities and smart meters. The following summary reflects the introduced version content.

Quick Facts

  • Bill Number: S 4096
  • Introduced: February 3, 2025
  • Status: Referred to Local Government
  • Sponsors: Kevin S. Parker (primary), Luis R. Sepúlveda (cosponsor)
  • Relation: Supplements Title 48 of the Revised Statutes

What the bill would do

  • Prohibits electric public utilities from increasing rates specifically to recover the cost of installing smart meters.
  • Increases ratepayer transparency around rate increases and strengthens reporting to the federal government.
  • Provides protections for ratepayers against disconnections or late fees after certain large rate increases.

Key provisions

1) Definitions (Introduced Version)
- Board: Board of Public Utilities.
- Electric public utility: Public utility that transmits/distributes electricity within New Jersey.
- Smart meter: Metering devices using smart meter technology (includes hourly interval meters, one-way communication, and two-way real-time meters).

2) Rate increase restriction
- A utility may not raise rates after enactment to recover smart meter installation costs.

3) Rate increase transparency (30-day window)
- For the date range 30 days before to 30 days after any rate increase, utilities must publish on their website and in customer communications:
- Amount and effective date of the increase
- Reasons for the increase
- Anticipated impact on bills, including the percentage increase
- How ratepayers can provide feedback or file complaints
- The Board may fine a utility up to $10,000 for violations.

4) DOE reporting and annual data
- Utilities must notify the U.S. Department of Energy at least 60 days before any rate increase that would result in an average bill increase of 5% or more. The report must include:
- Amount and effective date
- Reasons
- Anticipated bill impact with the percentage increase
- Mitigation measures
- Utilities must provide the DOE with an annual report on:
- Trends in interruptions (location, duration, cause) and a summary of interruptions in the prior year
- Trends in overdue bills in the prior year

5) Post-increase protections
- Within six months after a rate increase resulting in a 5%+ average bill increase, utilities may not disconnect service or assess late fees for those ratepayers affected by the increase.

6) Effective date
- The act would take effect immediately.

Affected entities

  • Electric public utilities and their ratepayers in New Jersey
  • U.S. Department of Energy (for reporting)
  • The Board of Public Utilities (enforcement and oversight)

Legislative context

  • Part of ongoing efforts to increase transparency and consumer protections around rate changes and smart meter costs.

If you’d like, I can compare this bill to related NJ bills or provide a side-by-side with current law.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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