New Jersey residents sound off on Gov. Mikie Sherrill's efforts to lower utility costs

Back in January, during her inauguration, New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill promised to lower utility costs. She declared a state of emergency and signed an executive order freezing rate hikes. 

"I hope, New Jersey, you remember me when you open up your electric bill and it hasn't gone up by 20 percent," she said at the time. 

Nearly nine months later, some ratepayers tell CBS News New York their utility costs are still high. 

"I don't know what the rate exactly is, but I know my bill was higher," one person said. 

Rene Alexander of Mountainside says her electric bill has nearly doubled. 

"We just got our latest one, and it was - year-over-year - it was 100 percent, 100 percent and there is no difference in what we're doing," Alexander said. "We don't have any new appliances." 

Sherrill said she's taken several actions to bring down utility costs, including holding data centers responsible for their fair share and $25 credits for 3.6 million ratepayers. 

A Newark resident told us she's still paying too much, even with $25 deducted from her bill. 

"But we still want her to do more about taking the bills down," Toby Ajbade said. 

 "We prevented a double-digit increase in electricity costs by capping wholesale power prices at PJM, delivered immediate relief to ratepayers during the hottest summer months," Sherrill said in a statement. 

"My utility rates have gone down a bit, yes they have, oddly," Morris County resident Katherine Leonard said. 

Sherrill said she's been working with the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities to lower costs. 

"No net increase in electricity rates and a slight decrease in gas rates," a board member said at a September meeting. 

Sherrill also said she lifted a 50-year moratorium on nuclear power, saving ratepayers $1 billion annually. She also said she's approved 18 new solar and battery storage projects.