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Adds a new paragraph (7) to subsection (b) requiring gas utilities to transmit to each gas consumer information relating to gas consumption in accordance with section 304(c).
Adds a new subsection (c) to section 304 establishing requirements for covered gas utilities to provide consumer information, timing and content of consumption notifications, an optional dollar-amount notification feature, and a definition of "covered gas utility."
Modifies subsection (b)(3) to require electric utilities to transmit information regarding both rate schedules and consumption of electric energy in accordance with section 115(f).
Adds a new paragraph (4) to subsection (f) establishing a program requirement and detailed consumer billing and notice requirements (additional billing information, usage-notice timing, optional consumption-based notifications) and defines 'covered electric utility' as an electric utility that receives funding from Federal sources, as determined by the Commission.
Requires covered electric and gas utilities to give customers clearer, more frequent information about energy use and bills. Utilities must set up programs that add specific details to bills (for example, dollar change from the previous bill and average monthly use in kWh and dollars), send usage notices when daily use spikes above prior-period levels during a billing cycle, and offer optional threshold-based dollar alerts customers can choose to receive. The bill also defines which companies are “covered” utilities for these requirements.
Amend Section 113(b)(3) of the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act (16 U.S.C. 2623(b)) to require each electric utility to transmit to each electric consumer information regarding rate schedules and consumption of electric energy in accordance with the requirements of section 115(f).
Each covered electric utility must establish a program under which it transmits the information required by the new paragraph (4) to electric consumers.
Billing must include the difference between the dollar amount charged in the current billing and the dollar amount charged in the previous billing period.
Billing must include the consumer’s average monthly consumption of electric energy shown both in dollars and in kilowatt hours (kWh).
Usage notice rule — If, within the first 9 days of a billing period, the consumer’s average daily consumption exceeds the average daily consumption for the previous billing period, the covered electric utility must notify the consumer on the 10th day of the billing period of the excess consumption.
Who is affected and how:
Utilities: Covered electric and gas utilities must design and operate new customer-information programs, update bill formats, and add notification systems. That will likely require changes to billing software, customer portals, and notification workflows. Electric utilities may need to coordinate to deliver gas notifications for customers who opt in. Implementation costs and administrative burdens will be borne by utilities unless state regulators or future federal actions provide funding or cost-recovery mechanisms.
Consumers and households: Residential and small-business customers will receive clearer bill comparisons (dollar change from prior bill, average monthly kWh and dollar use) and timely alerts when daily consumption spikes. This should reduce surprise bills, help customers identify leaks or inefficient usage, and support budgeting or conservation choices. Customers can opt into dollar-threshold alerts to limit bill shock.
Low-income and energy-burdened households: These groups may benefit most from early spike notices and dollar-based alerts, which can help avoid unexpected high bills; however, the policy’s effectiveness depends on customers’ awareness and ability to act on alerts.
Regulators and state commissions: State public utility commissions and regulators will likely oversee implementation details, adjudicate disputes about compliance, and may set complementary rules (format, timing, exceptions). Lack of federal technical standards means much of the detail will fall to state regulators and utility filings.
Small and municipal utilities/cooperatives: Smaller utilities or publicly owned utilities with limited IT capacity could face proportionally higher costs to meet notice and billing-format changes. They may need time, technical assistance, or regulatory rate-recovery approvals to implement changes.
Overall effect: The bill shifts information toward consumers and requires utilities to operationalize usage-tracking and notification programs. Benefits include more actionable billing data and earlier alerts of unusual consumption; tradeoffs include implementation costs and coordination burdens for utilities and regulators. The lack of specified funding, deadlines, and technical standards may slow or complicate rollout and create variability across jurisdictions.
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Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Introduced February 18, 2025 by Josh S. Gottheimer · Last progress February 18, 2025
Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Introduced in House