U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew announced he will hold a field hearing in his district to "demand answers and solutions" from utility companies amid escalating electricity bills.
In addition, Van Drew said he plans to introduce a package of five bills designed to enhance transparency from utility companies and protect consumers from "unfair hikes in the future."
"We need to ensure big companies cannot take advantage of the system and leave hardworking families paying the price," Van Drew said in a news release.
Van Drew, who represents the Second Congressional District in South Jersey, said his package of bills is just the beginning "of holding utility companies accountable."
"We will not stop until we get the transparency and accountability the public deserves," he said.
The field hearing will be held in South Jersey with the date, time and location to be announced soon.
Exelon, the parent company of South Jersey utility Atlantic City Electric, and the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities will be invited to the hearing, along with experts in the field.
Bills Included in Van Drew's legislative package include:
1. A bill to prohibit utilities from passing the costs of projects like smart meters onto consumers through rate hikes.
2. A bill to close loopholes that currently allow large companies to acquire small utilities while operating under different names for tax benefits.
3. A bill to mandate utility companies to provide a 30-day notice of planned rate increases, detailing its justification and consumer impact. Any increases of 3% or more must be reported to the Department of Energy (DOE) 60 days prior with fines up to $10,000 for noncompliance.
4. A bill to require utility companies to provide transparent reporting on service interruptions and overdue payments to the DOE, which is information not currently collected. This increases transparency and will lead to more effective oversight of utilities and ensure more fairness for consumers being treated unfairly in certain regions like South Jersey, according to the news release.
5. A bill to require states to establish procedures to protect households from energy shutoffs and late fees when facing rate increases above 5%.
