TOMS RIVER - Calling recent Atlantic City Electric rate increases "outrageous," the Ocean County Board of Commissioners is calling on the state Board of Public Utilities to immediately investigate the skyrocketing bills arriving in customers' mailboxes

"These rate hikes are forcing people to choose between paying their electric bill or buying food," said Gary Quinn, Deputy Director of the Board of Commissioners. "We've already seen cases where some of our residents' rates have jumped by 200 percent or more."

Quinn, who is also Chairman of the Ocean County Department of Consumer Affairs, said the portion of Ocean County's 200,000 senior citizens who live in Atlantic City Electric's coverage area have been especially hard hit by the increases.

"Our seniors are living on fixed incomes and are facing higher costs for food, gasoline and medicine. This utility is placing an unconscionable burden on our most vulnerable residents," Quinn said.

Ronald Heinzman, Director of the Ocean County Department of Consumer Affairs, said his office has already received numerous complaints from Atlantic City Electric customers.

"We had one resident's bill jump more than 200 percent since June," Heinzman said. "That is a ludicrous increase."

Heinzman, who also heads the Ocean County Energy Council, said he personally reached out to the Atlantic City Electric president's office to discuss the issue, but received no response.

"This utility needs to be transparent and responsive to their customers," Heinzman said.

According to published reports, the utility blamed the higher consumer bills on recent rate increases of 13 percent and 5 percent. They said the summer heat and increased demand also contributed to the rising costs.

"Those rate increases don't come anywhere close to 200 percent, "Quinn said. "As for the heat, it gets hot in the summer, that's nothing new. We have had heat waves before but our residents have never seen their utility bills spiral out of control the way they have this year."

Quinn called on the state BPU to investigate the matter.

"The BPU needs to be responsive to our residents. They need to ask hard questions and demand explanations for these absurd costs," Quinn said.

The Commissioners join Rep. Jeff Van Drew, whose 2nd Congressional District includes much of Atlantic City Electric's coverage region, in demanding that the BPU take action.

"The utility needs be held accountable," Quinn said. "They won't answer our questions. It's time for the state to take action."