Lifeline Utility Assistance Program

Lifeline Utility Assistance Program is sponsored by New Jersey State Board of Public Utilities. The New Jersey Lifeline Utility Assistance Program helps older adults and people with disabilities pay their electric and natural gas bills. People managing autism spectrum disorder may qualify through the program's rules based on disability, income, or age.

Toggle Social Links Open/Close New Jersey Board of Public Utilities Utility Assistance Programs If you need help with your utility bills, are in danger of utility shut off, or are currently disconnected, apply for one of the free utility grant programs below and inform your utility company immediately. Don’t delay, apply for energy assistance today! If you are having trouble affording your utility bills, help is available.

New Jersey offers a diverse portfolio of utility assistance and energy efficiency programs for low- and moderate-income households. See income limits and program information below: *If you are income eligible for USF/LIHEAP, apply for those programs first. Then, if still in need, seek additional assistance from the PAGE program.

**Lifeline determines income in terms of married or single only and is for seniors and the disabled. Residential Energy Assistance Payment (REAP) To advance ongoing efforts to build a stronger and fairer Garden State, the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities launched a second iteration of the Residential Energy Assistance Payment (REAP) to provide financial relief to eligible households in New Jersey.

Eligible households received seven $25 bill credits automatically applied to their utility bill starting summer 2025, similar to the initial 2024 REAP program, which offered a one-time $175 credit. To learn more about REAP, please visit: nj. gov/bpu/assistance/reap/ .

Residential Universal Bill Credit NJBPU approved the Residential Universal Bill Credit , which provided direct $100 in energy bill assistance to all 3. 9 million New Jersey residential ratepayers with an active electric account with one of the four public, investor-owned utility companies: Public Service Electric and Gas, Atlantic City Electric, Jersey Central Power and Light, and Rockland Electric Company.

Bill credits were applied to electricity bills in September and October 2025. Residents received a $50 credit for each month. The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) has a variety of programs that can help you with utility bills, rent, and removal of lead hazards from your home.

Use the anonymous DCAid screening tool to determine if you are eligible for assistance, and for more information on how to apply. Universal Service Fund (USF) The Universal Service Fund (USF) provides monthly credits on electric and gas bills to help make bills more affordable. Credit amounts are primarily based on the amount you spend on energy over a certain percentage of income.

All income eligible participants receive a minimum monthly credit of $20 on their gas and/or electric bill. The maximum monthly credit is $200 for gas and electric combined. USF-Fresh Start: Eligible USF electric and gas customers with overdue balances of $60 or more will be automatically enrolled by their utility company into the Fresh Start program when they enroll in the USF program.

Fresh Start provides forgiveness on the overdue balance amount that existed at the time of USF enrollment. Fresh Start is available once every five years. The gas and electric utility companies administer the Fresh Start program with oversight by the BPU.

How do I receive Fresh Start forgiveness for my overdue balance? Each month a USF-Fresh Start customer pays their current monthly charges in full, 1/12 of their Fresh Start overdue balance will be forgiven by the utility company. The utility company will send information to Fresh Start customers when they are enrolled explaining how the program works and updates regarding their status in the program.

The customer should call their utility company with any Fresh Start questions but can reach out to the Board of Public Utilities at (800) 624-0241 or file a complaint online at: www. nj. gov/bpu/assistance/complaints if the customer cannot resolve the issue with their utility company.

How do I apply for USF and USF-Fresh Start? * Apply online at www. nj.

gov/dca/dcaid and upload all required documents. Check email regularly for application status updates or check on the status by logging back into the website. Click here for Frequently Asked Questions about USF.

For further information: energyassistance. nj. gov Call the NJ Utility Assistance hotline at (800) 510-3102 to: Find your local USF/LIHEAP application agency or utility payment center if you need help completing your application.

Follow up on the status of your application If you are disabled and homebound, request a home visit for assistance in completing your application. USF shares its application with the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP/HEAP). You can apply for both programs at the same time during the LIHEAP season (10/1 - 6/30), or apply online for USF only during the summer months.

*You cannot apply for Fresh Start. I f you are eligible you will be enrolled by your utility company and receive information about it in the mail. USF is administered by the Department of Community Affairs.

Fresh Start is administered by the utility companies with oversight by NJBPU. Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP/HEAP) The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP/HEAP) helps New Jersey households pay for heating costs, medically-necessary cooling expenses and emergency funds. Renters who have their heating costs included in their rent may also qualify.

LIHEAP provides help for gas, electric, deliverable fuels and qualifying heater repairs and replacements. Applications for LIHEAP are accepted from October 1 through June 30 while funds last . The LIHEAP program shares its application with the USF program.

For application options, please see above “How do I apply for USF and USF-Fresh Start? ” or visit here . LIHEAP is administered by the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs .

Payment Assistance for Gas and Electric (PAGE) Program The Payment Assistance for Gas and Electric (PAGE) Program provides relief on gas and electric bills for low- to moderate-income New Jersey households (see income limits above). Those who are income-eligible for USF should apply for that program first before seeking supplemental assistance from PAGE.

To self-screen for program eligibility, apply online, or print an application, please visit www. sharesnation. org or call 1-866-657-4273 .

PAGE administered by SHARES Nation, Inc. but is made possible by the New Jersey Department of the Treasury and is subject to availability of funds. Note : Households with undocumented individuals may apply for USF, PAGE and LIHEAP as described above. Please note that while LIHEAP requires at least one household member to have a social security number, this is not a requirement for the USF and PAGE programs.

For more information, call 2-1-1. SHARES also provides assistance to income-eligible New Jersey households for paying their energy, telephone, broadband (internet), water, wastewater, property tax, rent and mortgage bills. Municipal utility grants for water, sewer and electricity also available to customers of partnering municipalities.

For more information, call 1-866-657-4273 or visit www. sharesnation. org/programs.

Winter Termination Program The Winter Termination Program protects specific categories of customers from having their water, wastewater, gas or electricity shut off between November 15 and March 15 of each year. These categories include: 1. Recipients of benefits under the Lifeline Credit Program; 2.

Recipients of benefits under the Federal Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP); 3. Recipients of Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF); 4. Recipients of Federal Supplemental Security Income (SSI); 5.

Recipients of Pharmaceutical Assistance to the Aged and Disabled (PAAD); 6. Recipients of General Assistance (GA) benefits; 7. Recipients of the Universal Service Fund (USF); 8.

Applicants of the Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program or any other State, local, or utility program that provides assistance or discounted rates specifically to help eligible customers pay wastewater or water bills that may exist at that time; or 9. Residential customers who are unable to pay their utility bills because of circumstances beyond their control.

Such circumstances shall include, but shall not be limited to, unemployment, illness, medically related expenses, recent death of an immediate family member, and any other circumstances, which might cause financial hardship. These residential customers shall be permitted to self-certify to the utility or Division of Customer Assistance of the Board of an inability to pay their public utility bill.

Please call your utility company to request WTP protection. If you have any questions about WTP the utility cannot answer, call NJBPU at (800) 624-0241. The Winter Termination Program is administered by NJBPU.

Residential Reconnection Based on Utility Assistance Application Gas, electric, water, and wastewater customers may request reconnection of service once per year, per utility service, with proof of application to USF, LIHEAP, PAGE, or any other State, local or utility assistance program that provides assistance or discounted rates. Customer must first make a down-payment of up to 25% of the outstanding balance.

Utility Customer Bill of Rights Be a smart consumer, know your rights. Read the Utility Customer Bill of Rights. Lifeline Program (Energy Assistance) Lifeline provides an annual $225 energy benefit to qualified seniors and the disabled.

The benefit can help eligible homeowners and renters with electric and/or natural gas costs. You can apply for Lifeline by using the NJSAVE application, available at www. aging.

nj. gov . For more information about Lifeline, call 1-800-792-9745, or click here .

Lifeline is administered by the New Jersey Department of Human Services (DHS). New Jersey Comfort Partners is a free program that helps income-eligible customers reduce their utility bills by implementing measures at no cost to them.

Through Comfort Partners, NJBPU and your electric and natural gas utilities partner with you to lower your energy use and utility bills, improve your comfort, and increase the health and safety of your home. For more information, click here or call (866) 378-4345. Sponsored by the NJ Board of Public Utilities' New Jersey Clean Energy Program.

Lifeline (Federal Telephone Assistance Program) Eligibility is determined based on your income (135% or less than the federal poverty guidelines) or participation in other assistance programs.

In general, if you participate in any of the following programs you also may qualify for telephone assistance: Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as Food Stamps, Federal Public Housing Assistance (FPHA), Veterans Pension and Survivors Benefit, Tribal programs and Medicaid. Telephone assistance is available to you if you are a qualified residential telephone customer.

When you are seeking telephone assistance, please keep in mind that each telephone company and/or each program has different eligibility requirements, different benefits available and different restrictions. Some programs have restrictions on the optional services available to participants.

The following list of telephone service providers participate in Lifeline: Assistance in New Jersey: Verizon New Jersey - If you are a Verizon New Jersey customer, please call NJSHARES at 1-888-337-3339, or visit https://njshares. org/telecommunications/ CenturyLink/United Telephone Company of New Jersey – 1-800-201-4099 – www. centurylink.

com/Pages/Support/LifeLine Tracfone- 1-800-977-3768 - www. safelink. com Virgin Mobile- 1-888-898-4888, or visit www.

assurancewireless. com Truconnect- 1-800-430-0443, or visit www. truconnect.

com Xchange- 1-877-853-3443 www. xchangetele. com Q-Link Wireless- 1-855-754-6543, or visit www.

qlinkwireless. com Telrite- 1-888-543-3620 , or visit www. lifewireless.

com Terracom- 1-888-716-8880, or visit www. terracomwireless. com Tempo- 1- 833-998-3676 , or visit www.

mytempo. com Infinity Mobile- 1-888-801-0012, or visit www. infinitimobile.

com Dish Wireless- 1-833-528-1380, or visit www. genmobile. com Tag Mobility- 1-(424) 219-5670 or visit Free Government Phones & Tablets - Lifeline Program - TAG Mobile Please contact your local telephone company to participate in any of these programs.

Also to find out more information, you may also call the Universal Service Administration Company (USAC), which administers Lifeline for the Federal Communications Commission by calling 888-641-8722 or by visiting their website: www. lifelinesupport.

org Summer Termination Program (STP) Summer Termination Program (STP) shut off protections are in effect each June 15th-August 31st for residential electric, water and sewer customers within the protected categories covered by the Board's Winter Termination Program's rules and regulations (see "Winter Termination Program" listed above).

Atlantic City Electric Company's Customer Relief Fund Atlantic City Electric Company provides grants to its residential customers who are carrying a balance of at least $250 or more. The grants can be as high as $500. Learn more at: www.

atlanticcityelectric. com/Relief . This program is administered by the non-profit organization SHARES.

Call SHARES for more information at: 866-657-4273 or apply online here . New Jersey Natural Gas Gift of Warmth New Jersey Natural Gas provides its Gift of Warmth fund as a one-time grant of up to $500 to help residential customers experiencing unanticipated financial hardship. Gift of Warmth can reconnect service or prevent disconnection.

If you have an overdue balance with New Jersey Natural Gas that you cannot pay, please start your application process today: click here or call 800-221-0051 and say "energy assistance" at the prompt. Board of Public Utilities Residential Energy Assistance Payment Utility Assistance Programs Hearings/Newly Docketed Matters