“We know that people are looking for help,” said Matt Johnson, a Consumers Energy representative, as summer heat arrives in Michigan. The utility says $11 million in assistance is still available to qualifying customers who need to pay their energy bills.
The money comes through the State Emergency Relief program, which the state of Michigan manages. Eligible residents can receive up to $600 per month. The payment is a one-time amount meant to cover the past two energy bills.
Who qualifies
Johnson gave the income limits plainly. A family of four making $49,000 or so or less would qualify, as would an individual making about $23,000 a year or less. Residents can check eligibility and apply at consumersenergy.com/assistance, where the site also lists other programs, including the federal Michigan Energy Assistance Program.
“We’re excited to share that we have $11 million in assistance still available,” Johnson said.
Last year’s numbers
More than 59,000 Consumers Energy customers received approximately $26 million in state emergency relief funding last year. Across Michigan, 140,000 families benefited from some type of assistance.
Advice for hot weather
Johnson also had suggestions for holding down bills. “We encourage people to be monitoring their usage,” he said, pointing out that several factors feed into a bill. Grilling outside rather than using the oven helps, he said, and so does opening a window on a cooler night instead of running the air conditioning.
He described the utility’s priorities this way: “Job number one is to keep the lights on for folks. And we’re committed to providing safe and reliable energy for our customers 24/7. So we feel like it is our role and our responsibility to help provide resources for our customers in need.”
Johnson acknowledged the strain high bills put on households. “We understand that there is an energy cost burden to folks, but we also are obligated to helping our customers navigate that and we are committed to doing that,” he said.
