Michigan Utilities Can’t Shut Off Customers 65 and Older Until March 31, and Low-Income Households Can Stay Connected by Paying 7% of Their Yearly Bill a Month

Michigan’s heating season brings two shields against a winter shutoff. From Nov. 1 through March 31, utility customers 65 and older can be protected from having their gas or electricity cut off for nonpayment, and income-qualified households can keep service on by paying 7% of their estimated yearly bill each month.

Both protections are spelled out on the Michigan Public Service Commission’s help page for utility customers. Neither one is automatic. Customers have to contact their utility to confirm eligibility and, for the payment plan, show they have applied for heating assistance.

The senior shutoff protection

The commission lists Senior Citizen Shutoff Protection as its own program, separate from the low-income plan. It protects customers 65 and older from shutoff from Nov. 1 to March 31. The page tells customers to contact their utility to verify eligibility.

State law sets out the same idea for municipally owned electric utilities. Under Section 460.9r of the Michigan Compiled Laws, such a utility may not shut off an eligible senior citizen customer for nonpayment during the heating season, which the law defines as Nov. 1 through March 31. A senior qualifies by being 65 or older and telling the utility.

Some utilities add a small discount on top. Consumers Energy offers customers 65 and older a $4-a-month senior credit on electric bills at their primary home, which cannot be combined with its low-income credits. The company tells seniors who are not seeing the credit to call 800-477-5050 and confirm their birth date is on file.

How the 7% Winter Protection Plan works

The Winter Protection Plan is for income-qualified customers. The commission’s page says a household qualifies with income at or below 150% of the federal poverty level, or by receiving state cash assistance, SSI, SNAP or Medicaid, and must show it has applied for state or federal heating help.

The terms are specific. Customers pay at least 7% of their estimated annual bill each month during the protection period. Any past-due balance is spread into equal monthly installments from the date of the application until the next heating season starts. Everything owed must be paid before that next season begins.

Section 460.9r uses the same 7% figure for municipal utilities and adds a deadline. A customer who agrees to different terms with the utility must show within 14 days that they applied for state or federal heating assistance.

The law also sets out what happens if a customer falls behind on the plan. The utility may shut off service only after a written notice that states the default, the past-due amount, a 10-day window to pay, the earliest shutoff date and the customer’s right to dispute it. Service continues while a dispute is pending, and the notice must say that a shutoff is postponed during a medical emergency.

Money help that starts Nov. 1

The protections keep service on, but they do not cover the bill. For that, the commission points to several programs on its Be Winterwise page.

The Michigan Energy Assistance Program, which the commission administers, helps eligible low-income households with energy bills and self-sufficiency services. Households behind on their energy bill can apply for help with the past-due balance starting Nov. 1 if their income is below 150% of the poverty level, according to the page. Seventy percent of the program’s money must be spent during the crisis season, and more funding may be available after May 31.

The utility-customers page adds that for MEAP, the customer’s electric utility must have opted into the state’s Low Income Energy Assistance Fund surcharge. Callers can reach a MEAP provider through 2-1-1.

State Emergency Relief, run by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, is available year-round for heat and electric bills, for keeping service on and for restoring it, the Be Winterwise page says. Applications go through the MI Bridges website or a local MDHHS office.

The Home Heating Credit, run by the Michigan Department of Treasury, is a separate tax-form credit for homeowners and renters with income at or below 110% of the poverty level. The form is filed between Jan. 1 and Sept. 30, according to the commission’s utility-customers page.

Medical emergencies and who to call

The commission’s Be Winterwise page also notes protection for people whose health would be harmed without service and for critical care customers who rely on medical equipment. Those customers are told to contact their gas or electric company directly.

In a January bulletin, the commission listed its complaint and inquiry line at 800-292-9555 and pointed residents to Michigan 211 for help with energy bills, food, housing and transportation.

The site has covered similar winter rules elsewhere, including Indiana’s shutoff ban for households that apply for energy aid and Ohio’s Winter Crisis Program. Michigan’s version gives seniors five months of protection and gives low-income households a fixed 7% payment target for the whole winter.

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This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.

Image: w_lemay – CC BY-SA 2.0/Wikimedia Commons