Keeping the heat on in New Jersey when the bills are too high
If you cannot pay a heating bill in New Jersey, the first thing to know is the calendar. Between November 15 and March 15, state rules stop gas and electric shutoffs for large groups of households, and separate statewide programs may shrink the bill itself during the rest of the year.
Everything on this page is statewide and specific to heat: the rules that limit winter shutoffs, the reconnection right that comes with applying for assistance, and the New Jersey programs whose purpose is a smaller gas or electric bill. LIHEAP and the funds run by individual utility companies each have their own pages on this site, and the sections below point to them where they fit.
Winter shutoff protection from November 15 to March 15
New Jersey's Winter Termination Program stops gas, electric, water, and wastewater shutoffs between November 15 and March 15 for households in protected categories. The protection covers people receiving benefits from LIHEAP, the Universal Service Fund, Lifeline, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Supplemental Security Income, Pharmaceutical Assistance to the Aged and Disabled, or General Assistance, along with people who have applied for a water bill assistance program. See the NHPB guide to New Jersey government assistance programs to read more about those benefits.
One more category exists, and it is the broadest. A household that cannot pay because of circumstances beyond its control — a lost job, an illness, medical expenses, a recent death in the immediate family, or another financial hardship — may claim the protection by self-certifying, which means telling the utility in your own words that you are unable to pay. No program enrollment is required for that route. If the utility does not honor it, the Board of Public Utilities takes calls at (800) 624-0241, and the full rules sit on the Board of Public Utilities assistance page at https://www.nj.gov/bpu/assistance/programs/.
Call your utility company to request the protection rather than assuming it applies automatically. A similar rule covers electric, water, and sewer service from June 15 through August 31 for the same categories.
One caution while a shutoff is hanging over you. A real utility follows notice rules and accepts normal payment methods. Anyone who calls demanding immediate payment through a gift card, wire transfer, or payment app to stop a same-day disconnection is running a scam — hang up and call the number printed on your bill.
Getting reconnected if the heat is already off
If your service has already been disconnected, applying for assistance may be enough to get it turned back on. New Jersey lets gas, electric, water, and wastewater customers request reconnection once per year, per service, with proof that they have applied to the Universal Service Fund, LIHEAP, PAGE, or another assistance program. The utility may require a down payment of up to 25 percent of the outstanding balance first. An application you submit today could restore service before any grant money arrives.
A lower monthly bill through the Universal Service Fund
The Universal Service Fund exists to keep gas and electric bills affordable for New Jersey households with lower incomes, month after month rather than through a one-time grant. USF places a credit on the bill every month. The size of the credit depends on household income and on how much of that income goes to energy — the heavier the energy costs weigh against what the household earns, the larger the credit may be.
USF is for customers of the state's regulated gas and electric utilities, and both homeowners and renters may apply. You do not need to be behind on your bill. Applications are taken all year, and one application also covers LIHEAP during its season.
Apply online through the DCAid portal at https://www.energyassistance.nj.gov/, or call the state's utility assistance hotline at (800) 510-3102 to find the agency in your area that helps with applications, to check on an application you already submitted, or — if you are disabled and homebound — to request a home visit so someone can complete the application with you.
Fresh Start forgiveness for old energy debt
Fresh Start is for households that come into USF already carrying a past-due balance above a small set amount. There is no separate application. The utility company enrolls eligible USF customers automatically and mails a letter explaining the terms.
It works month by month. Each time you pay your current monthly charges in full and on time, the utility forgives one twelfth of the old balance. After a full year of on-time payments, the balance from before your enrollment may be forgiven completely. The forgiveness applies to the amount that existed when you entered USF; new charges remain your responsibility. A household may use Fresh Start once every five years. If enrollment or forgiveness does not happen the way the utility described and the company cannot resolve it, the Board of Public Utilities takes complaints at the number above.
The Lifeline credit for seniors and people with disabilities
Lifeline places a set yearly credit on the gas or electric account of qualified seniors and people with disabilities, with income limits attached. The application is NJSAVE, the same form New Jersey seniors use for several other benefit programs, available through the state Division of Aging Services or by calling (800) 792-9745. The program sits with the Department of Human Services rather than the energy assistance offices — and receiving Lifeline is itself one of the protected categories under the winter shutoff rules.
PAGE grants for households above the USF income limits
The Payment Assistance for Gas and Electric program, known as PAGE, serves households that have fallen behind on gas or electric bills but earn too much for USF — its income limits are set well above the limits for the programs described so far. The state's guidance is to apply for USF first if your income allows it and to turn to PAGE when it does not. PAGE grants depend on available funding, so help may not be available at every point in the year.
PAGE is administered by SHARES Nation, the statewide nonprofit also known as NJ SHARES, and applications go through that organization at (866) 657-4273. The NHPB guide to the NJ SHARES assistance programs covers the organization's other help with utility, water, and housing costs.
Neither USF nor PAGE requires a Social Security number, so a household that includes undocumented members may apply for both. LIHEAP is different — it requires at least one household member to have a number.
Where LIHEAP fits, including oil, propane, and broken furnaces
LIHEAP is the federal heating grant, and in New Jersey it shares its application with USF, so most people apply for both at once. Its season runs from the start of October through the end of June, while money lasts.
Two situations make LIHEAP the program to focus on. The first is heating with a delivered fuel. The winter shutoff rules cover utility service — gas, electric, water, wastewater — so they do not reach fuel deliveries, and a household that heats with oil, propane, kerosene, or wood relies on LIHEAP's emergency benefits when the tank is empty. The second is a heating system that does not work, because LIHEAP may pay for qualifying heater repairs and replacements. Income limits, grant amounts, and the application itself are covered in the NHPB guide to LIHEAP and weatherization in New Jersey.
Free energy-saving work from Comfort Partners
Comfort Partners sends workers into the homes of income-qualified utility customers to reduce energy use at no cost. The Board of Public Utilities and the gas and electric utilities run it together, and the work may include insulation, sealing of air leaks, hot water measures, and maintenance on heating equipment — a smaller bill every winter afterward. Income limits apply and differ from the assistance programs above. Call (866) 378-4345 to ask about eligibility and scheduling.
Utility company funds and other New Jersey help
Several of the state's gas and electric companies run hardship funds of their own, and those are collected in the NHPB guide to New Jersey utility bill assistance. If the heating bill is one of several you cannot cover, the NHPB guide to assistance programs across New Jersey lists help with rent, food, and other expenses county by county.
New Jersey adjusts its shutoff rules, income limits, and program funding over time, and grant money in every program depends on the budget behind it. Confirm current terms with the agency or organization running each program before relying on anything here. This page is general information, not legal advice.
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