Garden State Times

Senator Carmen Amato and Assemblymen Brian Rumpf and Greg Myhre have jointly penned a letter to the Board of Public Utilities (BPU) urging them to dismiss a petition by New Jersey Natural Gas for a significant 24% hike in heating bills for utility customers. The Delegation emphasized that approving such an increase would go against the Board's mission to provide affordable rates to the public.

In the letter addressed to BPU President Christine Guhl-Sadovy, the Delegation stated, "Approving the rate increase would blatantly deviate from the Board's Mission Statement to ensure affordable rates to all members of the public who seek such services." They further stressed the urgency of the situation, highlighting the potential financial burden on constituents if the rate hike were to be approved.

The Delegation pointed out that the proposed increase would not only impact the cost of living for many ratepayers but also jeopardize their ability to afford housing. They underlined the responsibility of the Board to protect consumers from such drastic spikes in natural gas bills, stating, "When considering the ramifications for thousands of ratepayers who stand to have their natural gas bills spike sharply, it is clear that the Board has the responsibility to reject the unconscionable rate increase petition filed by New Jersey Natural Gas."

In conclusion, the letter signed by Senator Carmen Amato, Jr., Assemblyman Brian E. Rumpf, and Assemblyman Gregory E. Myhre expressed gratitude for the BPU's attention to this matter, emphasizing the representation of the people of the 9th Legislative District in their plea to prevent the proposed rate hike.