“Job number one is to keep the lights on for folks,” said Matt Johnson, a Consumers Energy representative, as the utility pointed customers toward $11 million in bill assistance still available this summer.
The money comes from the State Emergency Relief program, which the state of Michigan runs. Eligible residents can receive up to $600 per month as a one-time payment meant to offset the past two energy bills. Johnson gave the income limits: a family of four earning $49,000 or so, or an individual earning about $23,000 a year, or less. BriefGlance, which also covered the announcement, put the family-of-four figure at around $45,000 and described the threshold as 150% of the federal poverty level.
Customers can check eligibility and apply at consumersenergy.com/assistance. The page also lists other programs, including the federal Michigan Energy Assistance Program, which BriefGlance says is reachable through the statewide 2-1-1 service.
How big the need is
Last year, more than 59,000 Consumers Energy customers received approximately $26 million in state emergency relief funding. Across Michigan, 140,000 families got some form of assistance. BriefGlance cited a figure of 141,000.
The utility has added money of its own. According to BriefGlance, it committed $5 million in January 2026 for winter heating bills and $2 million in August 2025 for summer cooling.
“We know that people are looking for help,” Johnson said. “And so we’re here to help people in their time of need.”
Rates behind the bills
BriefGlance tied the pressure on households to the cost of upgrading the grid. In December 2023 the Michigan Public Service Commission approved a $92 million electric rate increase for Consumers Energy, which meant an average residential bill increase of about $3.71 a month. Another smaller increase followed in June 2024. The outlet also reported a five-year, $5.4 billion grid upgrade plan and a Clean Energy Plan aimed at net-zero carbon emissions by 2040.
Applying is not always easy, BriefGlance noted. The state’s MI Bridges online portal can be hard for people with limited digital access, and gathering income and household documents adds another step. One community advocate quoted by the outlet said: “The aid is a godsend when you can get it, but the process can be draining.”
Longer-term options exist. Consumers Energy promotes an Equal Payment Plan that averages costs over 12 months, and runs the CARE program, a two-year plan with bill forgiveness and shut-off protection for qualifying customers. The utility is also raising its spending by $22 million by 2030 on assessments, appliance rebates and weatherization for income-qualified customers.
Johnson offered tips for hot weather: grill outside instead of using the oven, and open a window on cooler nights instead of running the air conditioning.
Sources
- Consumers Energy: Count On Us – Consumers Energy makes $11 million available for energy bill assistance
- Consumers Energy’s $11M Lifeline: A Stopgap in a System Under Strain? – BriefGlance.com
