New Jersey Congressman Jeff Van Drew has called for a federal audit of Atlantic City Electric (ACE) bills following a surge in customer charges. Some customers have reported increases of up to 400 percent in their bills. Van Drew hosted a public hearing in Mays Landing to address these concerns, stating that the response from the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU) has been insufficient.
Van Drew cited the case of one constituent, Lisa Thomas, whose bill increased by 293 percent, from $433 to $1,269, despite her usage only increasing by 42 percent from July through August of 2023 to the same period this year. "The numbers don't add up," Van Drew said at the hearing. He also alleged that ACE is now sending non-union workers to demand payment from customers who have always paid their bills on time, threatening to shut off their power before November 15, when the company is no longer allowed to do so due to expected cold temperatures.
Both ACE and the BPU have stated that they are working to address customers' concerns. However, representatives from both Exelon — ACE's parent company — and the BPU declined Van Drew's invitation to attend the public hearing. ACE has also stated that it made several attempts to have productive conversations with Congressman Van Drew's office but received no response.
According to 6abc.com, ACE has said that rising energy costs are a statewide concern impacting all energy utility companies. The company also declined to participate in the public hearing hosted by Van Drew.