How far back New Jersey utilities refund overcharges
When a meter registers more than 2% fast, charges are adjusted for the period of inaccuracy set by the rule. Here is the rule behind it, what starts or limits the clock, and what it means for a business with a billing error in New Jersey.
New Jersey at a glance
| New Jersey | |
|---|---|
| Rule | N.J.A.C. 14:3-4.6 (adjustment of charges for meter error) |
| How far back refunds go | When a meter registers more than 2% fast, charges are adjusted for the period of inaccuracy set by the rule |
| What starts or limits the clock | If the period is unknown, the rule derives it from the time since the last test and the maximum test interval; never longer than the customer was served through the meter |
| Interest | Not stated in the rule text read |
| Regulator | New Jersey utility commission |
What it means for a refund claim in New Jersey
- The Board has refused utility requests to waive this rule (Rockland Electric, Docket EW20060469, 2022).
- Billing errors other than meter error are handled through Board complaints and the utility tariff.
- Read the utility's tariff rules on billing and meter error too: tariffs often repeat or extend the commission rule.
- Municipal utilities and cooperatives usually set their own billing rules.
Discovery Energy reviews 36 to 48 months of history on every account and pursues the longest period each jurisdiction allows. See how overcharge recovery works, or compare New Jersey with every other state.
Sources
- N.J.A.C. 14:3-4.6 (adjustment of charges for meter error)
- Pennsylvania PUC national list of utility commissions