Gov. Phil Murphy signed a bill Friday that will keep the lights on for New Jersey residents waiting for state assistance on their utility bills. The new law extends the moratorium on utility shut-offs for residents who have already begun the application process for COVID-19 relief from the Department of Community Affairs but haven’t yet been approved. Residents will have 60 days to complete their applications and the department will have 90 days to approve or deny it.
In total, more than 850,000 New Jersey residents owe a combined $700 million on their gas and electric bills. Advocates say many don’t even know about the state aid that can help them pay their utility bills after suffering financial losses brought on by COVID-19.
