Keeping the Heat and Lights on: Help is Available for Problem Utility Bills

As cool fall weather moves into Michigan many citizens face another tough winter of keeping up with their heat and electricity bills. Along with groceries and gasoline, energy costs also have increased. Heat and electricity always cost more in the winter as we turn up the thermostat and turn on the lights earlier each evening after the sun sets. The winter months are hard but there is a lot of help out there for people struggling to pay their utility bills. If you know that you will need help, then using these resources now will help you keep warm and ahead of your bills this winter.

Both DTE Energy and Consumer’s Energy offer programs to help customers with their energy bills. Their shut-off protection plans spread future bills out over the year while also including equal monthly payments on an unpaid balance. Both companies also have programs to cover medical emergencies. Written proof from a doctor, public health official, or social services agency explaining that a shut-off will cause more harm to an existing medical emergency will allow you to postpone a shut-off for a short period of time.

Customers who meet income guidelines, and senior citizens regardless of their income, are eligible for the Energy Winter Protection Plan offered by DTE Energy and Consumer’s Energy. This program offers protection from a shut-off between November 1 and March 31. Customers must pay a portion of their estimated bill plus regular payments on any past-due bills. After March 31, the required bill payments will increase to cover winter bills. For more information on any of these programs call Consumer’s Energy at 800-477-5050, and DTE Energy at 800-477-4747.

You can find other energy assistance programs by calling 211 at the United Way. These programs include THAW, the Heat and Warmth Fund for people who are facing a shut-off and have exhausted all available help from state and federal funding programs. Through the Department of Human Services (DHS), Michigan offers energy assistance through the State Emergency Relief Program to DHS clients and non-DHS clients. For more information call the Energy Assistance Hotline at 800-292-5650, or visit your local DHS office.

Calling 211 can also put you in touch with weatherization programs that help income-eligible people winterize their homes. Fixing leaks around walls and doors, sealing off windows and improving the insulation in your home will keep you warmer while offering you some relief from high heating bills.

There are many things that we can all do to save energy and money. Turning down your thermostat a few degrees and wearing warm clothing inside can save you money. Replacing a dirty air filter with a clean filter will help your furnace work more efficiently. Turning off lights when you leave a room, and changing your light bulbs to energy-saving Compact Fluorescent Light (CFL) bulbs can also save you money. These are small but important steps toward energy efficiency and manageable energy bills.

It may take some phone calls and paperwork, but there is help out there. If you’re having trouble, asking for help before a shut-off happens will save you a lot of stress and hardship. If you aren’t facing a shut-off, there are still things you can do to improve your energy use and save money. There’s help for the asking, and no one should ever hesitate to take advantage of it.