Governor Phil Murphy announced this afternoon that he will be signing an executive order ending the utility shutoff moratorium on July 1st.
The moratorium barred companies from shutting off electric, gas, and water to homes due to unpaid bills, an issue which plagued many Lakewood households after the COVID-19 pandemic wiped out people’s incomes.
The governor said that although the moratorium is being ended, households will have a grace period to pay past due bills until December 31st, to give them time to enroll in utility assistance programs, if necessary.
If you are having trouble paying utility bills, click here for the state’s utility assistance programs home page.
No electric, gas, or water utilities are being disconnected until the end of December. Although you are not at risk of having your utilities disconnected at this time, you will eventually need to pay the total balance on your utility bills. Therefore, the LRRC does not recommend ignoring these bills. There is utility assistance available, and we are happy to help guide you through these programs. You can read details about the available utility assistance on our website at info.lrrcenter.org or schedule an appointment with an LRRC caseworker to discuss your specific situation by calling our automated scheduling system at 732-523-1789.