NEW JERSEY — Three state lawmakers representing New Jersey’s 9th Legislative District are calling on the Board of Public Utilities to reject Jersey Central Power & Light’s proposed electric rate increase, arguing customers already face mounting financial pressure from higher utility and living costs.
State Sen. Carmen Amato Jr. and Assemblymen Brian Rumpf and Gregory Myhre sent a letter to BPU President Ben Hertz-Shargel opposing the proposal, which would eventually raise the average residential customer’s bill by about 8.8%.
JCP&L recently filed a rate proposal with the BPU seeking a $253 million increase in base distribution rates while proposing offsets that would prevent residential customers from seeing the impact of the new base delivery rates during 2027.
Under the utility’s proposal, new base distribution rates would take effect May 6, 2027, but residential customers would not see the resulting increase until January 2028 because of the proposed offsets.
A typical residential customer using 767 kilowatt-hours of electricity and currently paying $162.30 per month would see an increase of $14.23 per month, or $170.76 annually, according to JCP&L.
Amato, Rumpf and Myhre said the BPU should “immediately and outright reject the 8.8% rate hike recently proposed by Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L).”
In their letter, the lawmakers said the increase would particularly affect senior citizens and households with fixed or limited incomes.
“Our Delegation is urging the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU), in the strongest possible terms, to reject outright the 8.8% rate increase recently proposed by Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L). It is our understanding that under the proposed increase, the average JCP&L customer’s electric bill would increase by $14.23 per month, or $170.76 annually. If approved by the BPU, the proposed increase would take effect in January 2028, immediately following the holiday season. For many residents of the 9th Legislative District, particularly senior citizens and families living on fixed or limited incomes, another substantial increase in utility costs is simply unaffordable. Approval of this rate increase would further intensify the cost-of-living crisis confronting New Jersey residents, who are already struggling with the rising costs of essential goods and services. Ratepayers have every right to ask how much more they are expected to pay for essential utility service. At a time when New Jersey families are already facing significant financial pressures, the BPU should not approve another rate increase without first exhausting every available means of protecting consumers from additional costs. This proposed increase can and should be stopped. The BPU has the authority and responsibility to carefully scrutinize JCP&L’s proposal and protect the interests of the ratepayers it is charged with serving. In representing the people of the 9th Legislative District, our Delegation is once again calling on the BPU and the Sherrill Administration to reject JCP&L’s proposed 8.8% electric rate increase. Such action would provide meaningful relief to struggling ratepayers and send a clear message that New Jersey residents cannot continue to be expected to absorb higher utility costs while rate increases are routinely approved in Trenton. Thank you for your consideration of our concerns and for your attention to the financial challenges facing JCP&L customers throughout our district and across New Jersey”
JCP&L has said its proposal attempts to balance affordability with investments needed to improve the electric system.
“Customers shouldn’t have to choose between affordability and reliability. Our balanced approach puts both front-and-center simultaneously by minimizing the impact on bills today and giving customers time to plan, while continuing to invest in the infrastructure needed to deliver safe, reliable service for generations to come,” said Doug Mokoid, FirstEnergy President of New Jersey.
In addition to the base distribution rate increase, JCP&L is seeking to recover $476 million in previously deferred storm costs through a separate charge beginning in January 2028. The company has proposed recovering those costs over 10 years rather than over a shorter period.
“We are listening to our customers and leading with affordability. By keeping our own costs down and taking an innovative approach, JCP&L is a responsible steward of our customers’ energy dollars,” said Teresa Reed, JCP&L’s Vice President, Rates & Regulatory.
JCP&L said it invested $1.5 billion in capital improvements during the past three years. The utility said reliability improved 15% in 2025 compared with 2024 and has improved 38% so far this year.
“While we’ve made progress over the past two years, we still have more work to do. When we invest, our customers benefit. This means fewer interruptions for families, more time open for businesses and more investment in our communities and economy,” said Patricia Mullin, JCP&L’s Vice President, Operations.
The rate proposal would support another $2.1 billion in base distribution investments as part of JCP&L’s larger five-year, $6.9 billion capital plan. Planned projects include electric grid modernization, expanded remote capabilities through EnergizeNJ, transmission upgrades and continued energy-efficiency programs.
JCP&L is also seeking additional funding for vegetation management and removal of dead and diseased ash trees. The utility said ash trees affected by the Emerald Ash Borer have accounted for 60% of tree-related outages since 2020 and that more than 74,000 dead or diseased ash trees have been removed since 2017.
As they push the BPU to reject the rate proposal, Amato, Rumpf and Myhre are also backing legislation they say could provide utility-cost relief.
The lawmakers have introduced S-4410 and A-5230, which would allow New Jersey residents to claim a state income tax deduction for sales taxes and societal benefits charges paid on residential electric and natural gas bills.
They have also introduced S-1619 and A-2848, which would require increases in energy sales tax revenue to be dedicated to utility assistance programs rather than deposited into the state’s General Fund.
The BPU must review JCP&L’s rate filing before any proposed increase can take effect.
