PSE&G 'Underestimated' Electric Usage, And NJ Reportedly Socked

NEW JERSEY – PSE&G acknowledged Thursday that it "underestimated" electrical usage amid the coronavirus, and customers throughout New Jersey, according to an NJ Advance Media report, are now getting socked by big bills to make up for it.

Lauren Ugorji, a PSE&G spokeswoman, told Patch that the company initially underestimated the 8 percent increase in electrical usage as people were stuck in their homes during the beginning stages of the state's lockdown.

Now customers, according to the NJ Advance Media report, are seeing their bills nearly triple; one resident told the publication that her monthly payment in July went from $85 to more than $240.

For the safety of customers and employees, Ugorji said, PSE&G limited the reading of meters for several months and most customers received estimated bills.

"That may have underestimated the customer’s use for several months," she said.

Now the company is trying to catch up with those initial estimates, PSE&G is getting the actually meter readings of electrical usage since the pandemic began and customers are paying the difference, she said.

"We are now reading more meters and some customers’ recent bills may account for prior underestimates," she said. "Also, we had a slight rate increase in 2020, which for an average residential customer equates to about $7 per month."

She also said July 2020 was the hottest month on record in New Jersey since 1895, so people will definitely see increases because of additional air conditional usage.

"When they have questions, we encourage our customers to contact us about their specific accounts to ensure they are receiving the best service delivery," she said.