Ratepayer Advocate Seema M. Singh Applauds BPU Decision for PSE&G to Re-establish a Permanent Customer Service Center in the City of Elizabeth to Minimize the Impacts on Fixed-Income Senior Citizens and Low-Income Residents

NEWARK, NJ – Seema M. Singh, New Jersey Ratepayer Advocate, today praised the Board of Public Utilities (Board) decision that provides for Public Service Electric and Gas (PSE&G) to establish a permanent customer service center in the City of Elizabeth within 60 days of the issuance of a Board Order.   PSE&G recently sent formal written notice to the Board in February that the New Jersey Schools Construction Corporation had exercised its power of eminent domain with respect to the PSE&G Customer Service Center located at 531 North Broad Street in Elizabeth, New Jersey.  The building is to be demolished for the construction of a new school.

“The Elizabeth Customer Service Center (ECSC) is located in the heart of an urban community with a large percentage of low and fixed income residents.  A senior citizen complex is also located within a block and a half of the Center.  Our primary concern is that the residents of Elizabeth and the surrounding vicinity continue to have easy access to customer service, without additional financial burden, with the ability to process customer inquiries and accept customer payments,” said Ratepayer Advocate Singh.

“The request by PSE&G to not locate a customer service center in the City of Elizabeth is clearly unreasonable and prejudicial to the public interest in that over 6500 payments and approximately 4000 customer interviews are conducted at this Elizabeth Customer Service Center each month,” Ratepayer Advocate Singh concluded.

The Ratepayer Advocate’s recommendations that the Board immediately require PSE&G to re-establish a permanent customer service center in the City of Elizabeth included the following components:

• A bill notice should go to all PSE&G customers;

• A notice of alternative payment locations (Western Union offices) in Elizabeth should be given to customers using the Elizabeth CSC and such notice should be posted on the door once the center is closed in both English and Spanish;
  

• Local social and senior agencies should be notified so that agencies can inform their clients; and
  

• Publication of a notice of the closing should be published in appropriate area newspapers.

The Ratepayer Advocate also reserves its right to fully investigate all future issues related to the ECSC closing and to recommend further actions as appropriate.

The Division of the Ratepayer Advocate represents the interests of utility consumers and serves as an active participant in every case where New Jersey utilities seek changes in their rates or services.  The Ratepayer Advocate also gives consumers a voice in setting long-range energy, water, and telecommunications policy that will affect the delivery of utility services well into the future.

Additional information on this and other matters can be found at the Division of Ratepayer Advocate’s website at http://www.rpa.state.nj.us

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