TOMS RIVER — The Ocean County Board of Commissioners is calling for sweeping reforms at Jersey Central Power & Light, citing repeated service failures, rising utility rates and a lack of accountability to residents.
In June, JCP&L customers saw their average monthly bills rise by $23, a roughly 20 percent increase, from $112.25 to as much as $134.92. Commissioner Deputy Director Frank Sadeghi warned the jump will leave many families struggling.
“Too many of our residents are already struggling to make ends meet,” Sadeghi said. “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.”
The Board criticized JCP&L’s history of frequent and prolonged outages and its refusal to reimburse customers for spoiled food and other losses. Sadeghi urged the company to prioritize infrastructure improvements, such as trimming trees, burying more lines underground and completing long-delayed grid upgrades.
“JCP&L needs to concentrate less on profits and more on serving its customers,” he said.
Commissioners warned that without significant upgrades, Ocean County remains vulnerable to widespread outages during major storms.
“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.”
Sadeghi reaffirmed the Board’s commitment to holding the utility accountable. “Ocean County residents deserve better than broken promises and rising bills,” he said. “JCP&L must step up, strengthen its system, and put its customers first.”
