The Division of Local Government Services issued Local Finance Notice 2024-17 providing an update on the Winter Termination Program. This Local Finance Notice is to be considered a stand-alone update to the Winter Termination Program section of Local Finance Notice 2023-09. Please note that local units not subject to the Winter Termination Program are required to post a notice on their website generally describing the Winter Termination Program. Posting the link to the Department of Community Affairs (DCA) Winter Termination Program flyer, available both in English and Spanish, will meet this requirement.
P.L. 2021, c. 317 established the Winter Termination Program in the DCA. It prohibits the shutoff of water, sewer, or electric services provided by a local unit for non-payment by eligible residential customers from November 15 through March 15. The Board of Public Utilities has established an equivalent program for investor-owned water and sewer utilities, which was an expansion of the pre-existing program for electric and gas shutoffs.
For those local units subject to the Winter Termination Program, they must send a notice to all their residential customers in the billing cycle prior to November 15. Any new residential customers starting service after November 15 billing cycle must be notified of the program at the start of the new service.
The Winter Termination Program does not prohibit enforcement of liens for water, sewer, or electric arrearages accrued between November 15 and March 15. The municipality may enforce delinquent water, sewer, or electric charges, including arrearages, during the protection period through tax sale. Municipalities may adopt a policy refraining from enforcing delinquent municipal water, sewer, or electric charges accrued during the Winter Termination Program timeframe until the ratepayer has the opportunity to satisfy their arrears some date after March 15. Local Finance Notices 2020-25 provides guidance on this policy.
Contact: Lori Buckelew, Deputy Executive Director & Director of Government Affairs, lbuckelew@njlm.org, 609-695-3481, x112.