A New Jersey Natural Gas proposal to raise rates by nearly 25% that it submitted to the N.J. Board of Public Utilities in late March would cause customers’ monthly bills to skyrocket if it is approved.

If the company’s base rate rises by 24.8%, it could hit consumers hard, especially senior citizens. That eventuality was clear to the Ocean County commissioners a couple of weeks ago when they passed a resolution calling the rate hike “preposterous” and urging the NJBPU to reject it.