As summer temperatures soar, Mercer County families struggling to keep up with rising energy bills will have a chance to get direct, in-person help.
The N.J. Board of Public Utilities will host a Utility Assistance Day on Thursday, August 14, in partnership with Mercer County and Ewing Township. The event will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at St. Paul AME Zion Church, 1130 Lower Ferry Road.
“With hot summer weather upon us, our upcoming Mercer County Utility Assistance Day in Ewing will be an excellent opportunity to connect with service providers to help you and your family secure savings through utility bill relief,” said NJBPU President Christine Guhl-Sadovy.
“We are here to help and UADs are part of our ongoing commitment to connecting residents face-to-face with NJBPU staff and other partners that can help residents sign up for available cost-saving programs,” Guhl-Sadovy said.
UADs have proven to be highly effective in helping connect residents with social services and assistance programs offered by State and utility providers.
The Mercer County UAD in Ewing is the latest in a series of successful UADs, where over 9,500 residents have cumulatively attended, including recently in Cliffside Park, Linden, Burlington City, Phillipsburg and Bridgeton.
“Utility Assistance Day is an important opportunity to connect residents with programs that can help ease the financial burden of utility costs, especially as energy prices continue to rise,” said Senator Shirley Turner.
Participating organizations include: PSE&G; NJ Shares; NJ Clean Energy Program; Humanitaire Chretien Sans Frontiere; Mercer County Administration; NJ Department of Human Services; and Catholic Charities, and Diocese of Trenton.
“We know that utility costs are a real concern for many families in Ewing Township and across New Jersey,” said Jacquelyn A. Suárez, commissioner of thee state Department of Community Affairs.
“If you’re having trouble keeping up with your home energy bills, help is available, and applying is easier than you might think.” she said. “Programs like the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program and the Universal Service Fund could offer the support you need.”
People who might be eligible for help include individuals and families participating in the Work First New Jersey program, the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program, and older adults or people with disabilities participating in the Lifeline Utility Assistance Program.
“Events like Utilities Assistance Day are critical in connecting residents to the help they need,” said Ewing Mayor Bert H. Steinmann.
To determine eligibility for utility assistance on-site, residents attending the Mercer County UAD in Ewing Township should bring the following:
One month of income statements from within the past eight weeks (or a zero-income statement) for all adult household members;
• Copies of social security cards or residency status for all household members;
• Proof of address (i.e., copy of rental lease or housing authority letter). (If you are a homeowner, please bring your tax bill, mortgage statement, or deed.); and
• All pages of electric, natural gas, and/or heating bills.
Additionally, customers in arrears who enroll in the Universal Service Fund (USF) program will be automatically screened for the Fresh Start program.
Fresh Start provides eligible USF customers an opportunity to have their overdue gas and electric balances forgiven by paying only their current monthly bills on time and in full.
Fresh Start is available to customers once every five years. To self-screen for USF eligibility or apply online, visit www.nj.gov/dca/dcaid or call 2-1-1 for more information.
For those unable to attend, please call 2-1-1 to learn more about New Jersey’s utility assistance programs. Those with complaints or concerns regarding their utility company are encouraged to call the NJBPU at 800-624-0241 or file online here.
