New Jersey residents are reeling from electric bills that have surged far beyond what we were told to expect. There’s no way to sugar coat it. There’s nobody to blame except Governor Phil Murphy and the Democrats in Trenton and Washington, D.C. who have let him run our state’s energy production into the ground.
Governor Phil Murphy’s administration promised a modest 20% hike to fund the state’s aggressive push toward electrification—electric heat, electric stoves, and electric cars. But for many of us, the reality is far worse. My latest electric bill, for instance, jumped nearly 50% over June’s, and I’m not alone.
Across the state, families are opening their bills to find sticker shock that threatens household budgets already stretched thin. This isn’t just an inconvenience; it’s a betrayal of trust and a policy failure that demands immediate action.
The rationale behind New Jersey’s electrification mandate was sold as a win-win: a cleaner environment and manageable costs for consumers. Yet, the numbers tell a different story. A promised 20% increase was already a bitter pill for many, but a near-50% spike is outright unsustainable. Small businesses, retirees, and working families are being crushed under the weight of these costs, with no clear explanation from the state about why the hikes are so much higher than advertised. This isn’t transparency—it’s obfuscation. And it’s time for answers.
Governor Murphy’s vision of an all-electric future—while well-intentioned—ignores the economic realities facing New Jerseyans. Forcing households to abandon gas-powered stoves, heating systems, and vehicles in favor of electric alternatives comes with a steep price tag, not just for the equipment but for the electricity to power it.
Our grid, already strained, is driving up costs as demand outpaces infrastructure improvements. And who’s footing the bill? Not the policymakers in Trenton, but everyday residents who are now choosing between paying for groceries or keeping the lights on.
The state’s response—a $200 deferment—feels like a Band-Aid on a broken leg.
It’s a one-time gesture that does nothing to address the root causes of these skyrocketing bills or the long-term affordability of the electrification push. Deferments don’t lower costs; they just kick the can down the road. What New Jersey needs is bold, immediate relief: an end to electric subsidies and taxes that inflate our bills to prop up an agenda most residents can’t afford to subsidize
.Subsidies for electric vehicles and renewable energy projects, while environmentally admirable, are driving up electricity rates for everyone, including those who can’t afford EVs or solar panels.
Subsidies are available for non-citizens and others who don’t make enough money to pay their bills. Guess what? At this point, nobody will be able to pay their bills.
These costs disproportionately hit low- and middle-income households, who are least equipped to absorb them. Scrapping these subsidies and associated taxes would provide real relief now, not a temporary IOU. It’s time to prioritize affordability over ideology.
Governor Murphy must pause the electrification mandates and conduct a transparent review of their true costs.
The Public Utilities Board should investigate why rate hikes are exceeding projections and hold public hearings to let residents voice their frustrations. New Jerseyans deserve to know why their bills are ballooning and what’s being done to fix it.
Until then, the push for an all-electric future feels less like progress and more like a punishment.We can’t afford to wait.
The state must act now to roll back subsidies, eliminate unnecessary taxes, and rethink policies that are pricing residents out of their own homes. New Jerseyans are tired of empty promises and half-measures. We need relief, and we need it now.
Bill J., Somerset
Letter to the editor