NEWARK, N.J. (AP)  -- In a tough economy, more New Jersey residents are finding themselves unable to pay their utility bills.

More than 175,000 people in the state had their electricity shut off last year, the state Board of Public Utilities said. That's up by 15 percent over 2006.

Advocates for the poor expected even more shutoffs with the price of electricity about to go up.

When power prices go up to 11.3 cents per kilowatt hour on June 1, they will have doubled since 2002.

Public Service Electric & Gas, the state's largest utility, said more people are also signing up for a federal program that helps low-income people pay their utility bills.

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