Winter Termination Program
Note: This Notice is a stand-alone update of the Winter Termination Program section in Local Finance Notice 2023-09. Please review this entire Notice.
Section 4 of P.L. 2021, c. 317 establishes a “Winter Termination Program” in DCA allowing eligible residential customers to avoid service shutoff from November 15 through March 15 for non-payment of water, sewer, or electric service provided by a local unit. Program regulations can be found at N.J.A.C. 5:45. An equivalent program has been established in the Board of Public Utilities (BPU) for investor-owned water and sewer utilities, expanding a pre-existing program applying to electric and gas shutoffs. P.L. 2021, c. 317 requires the DCA Program to substantially reflect the provisions of the BPU version. The DCA Winter Termination Program webpage can be found here.
The prohibition on service shutoffs does not apply to shutoffs necessitated by a “utility emergency,” defined as any condition constituting a potential danger to life, health, or property requiring a local unit to discontinue, interrupt, or maintain the discontinuation or interruption of electric, sewer or water service or that results in an unscheduled discontinuance or interruption in electric, sewer or water service.
