N.J. voters blame utilities more than politicians for soaring electric bills, poll finds

Seven in ten New Jersey voters believe they are paying unreasonable electric bills, but they blame utility companies more than politicians for high costs, and Democrats and Republicans are nearly equally supportive of reducing utility profits, according to a new North Node Group poll conducted for Evergreen Action and Power Play New Jersey, two organizations advocating utility reforms.

The survey found that 70% of voters believe electricity costs are unreasonable for what they receive, including 44% who consider them very unreasonable.  Two-thirds (66%) rated their bills between seven and ten on a ten-point scale measuring unaffordability, including 36% who gave them the worst possible rating.

Asked who was most responsible for high bills, 32% blamed utility companies, their profits or fees, compared with 20% who cited government or politicians generally; just 8% specifically blamed Democrats, Gov. Phil Murphy or Gov. Mikie Sherrill, while 7% pointed to President Donald Trump or federal policies.

The poll found bipartisan support for reducing the profits utilities can earn on infrastructure investments, currently averaging about 9.6%.

Half of voters support lowering that rate, including 51% of Democrats, 51% of Republicans and 47% of unaffiliated voters. Only 8% oppose the change, though 42% said they did not know enough to form an opinion.

Sherrill maintains a positive job approval rating, with 47% approving of her performance as governor and 36% disapproving. Another 17% were undecided.

One particularly striking finding suggests that the financial burden of electricity costs extends beyond conventional measures of unpaid utility bills.

One in seven voters (14%) reported using buy now, pay later financing services, including Klarna and Afterpay, to cover an energy bill at least once.  Five percent said they use such services monthly.

Because outside credit providers handle those transactions, the financial distress they represent may not appear in utility delinquency or shutoff statistics.

Some respondents described cutting grocery spending, falling behind on payments and choosing between electricity and other household necessities.

The poll was conducted September 22-26 with a sample size of 724 registered voters and a margin of error was approximately 4.4%.