The Ocean County Board of Commissioners is demanding sweeping reforms at Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L), blasting the utility giant for repeated service failures, skyrocketing rates, and what officials call a dangerous lack of accountability.
In June, JCP&L customers saw their monthly bills spike by nearly 20 percent, with the average bill climbing from $112.25 to as high as $134.92 — an increase of about $23.
“Too many of our residents are already struggling to make ends meet,” said Ocean County Commissioner Deputy Director Frank Sadeghi. “When utility bills go up by this much, families may have to decide between keeping the lights on, buying food, or paying for medicine. That is simply unacceptable.”
County officials said the steep rate hikes come on top of JCP&L’s history of frequent and prolonged outages, leaving thousands of customers without power for hours or days at a time. The company has often refused to reimburse residents for spoiled food, damaged appliances, or other losses caused by blackouts, they noted.
“JCP&L needs to concentrate less on profits and more on serving its customers,” Sadeghi charged. “That means upgrading infrastructure, trimming trees before they take down power lines, and moving more lines underground where they can withstand storms.”
The commissioners warned that without urgent investment in its aging power grid, JCP&L is setting the region up for disaster.
“We all remember Superstorm Sandy,” Sadeghi said. “Ocean County experienced widespread outages then, and the same thing will happen again if a hurricane strikes and JCP&L is not better prepared. We cannot allow history to repeat itself.”
The Board said it will continue to press the state to hold JCP&L accountable for both its rates and its reliability record.
“Utility companies must be held accountable,” Sadeghi said. “Ocean County residents deserve better than broken promises and rising bills. JCP&L must step up, strengthen its system, and put its customers first.”