Veterans Organizations Entitled to Residential Rates for Utility Services

Governor Murphy signed Assembly Bill A837 today.  This new law, effective immediately, allows veterans organizations, such as the American Legion and the VFW, to qualify for a public utility’s residential rates, assuming those rates are less than commercial rates, which is often the case.  The law is not clear as to whether the organization will receive the reduction only from the time it applies or retroactively going back to August 10, 2018.  To be safe, eligible organizations should apply to their local public utilities as soon as possible.

The bill applies to all public utilities regulated by the Board of Public Utilities, including electric, gas, water, sewer, and telephone.  It does not apply to cable television service, energy provided by non-utility third party suppliers, or non-regulated services, such as wireless communications or internet, although these service providers often have affinity rates for eligible organizations.  More information is available here.

If you are an eligible organization and not sure how to apply, or if you have any questions about this post or any related matter, please feel free to contact me at jlaskey@norris-law.com.