DTE Energy offers resources for Michigan customers to avoid heat shut-offs
SOUTHFIELD, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) — As winter weather moves into Metro Detroit, DTE Energy wants to remind customers of the programs it offers to ensure their heat stays on.
"Disconnect is always the last resort," said Jason Sparks, DTE Energy's director of Energy Assistance.
For customers who struggle to stay up to date with payments, Sparks says shut-offs will never happen if temperatures hover below 15 degrees for two or more days in a row.
The company offers two shut-off protection programs during the winter.
"One is our Winter Protection Plan, and this is specifically for low-income customers. It protects a customer from disconnect from November 1 through March 31, provided that the customer makes small, more affordable payments along the way (at least 7% of your estimated annual bill). The other item that we offer in the winter is Senior Winter Protection and all seniors in our service territory are protected from service disconnect," Sparks said.
The company says it is committed to avoiding shutoffs not just during the winter months but year-round, and it offers many options to help people get back on track.
"We partner with the state of Michigan who provides state emergency relief, we also partner with a number of community agencies United Way, thaw, Salvation Army to provide energy assistance to our customers. In-house at DTE, we have our Low-Income Self-Sufficiency Plan, and essentially, this program provides the customer affordable monthly payments based on their income, and it protects them from disconnect," said Sparks.
While bills may seem daunting at times, DTE urges folks to reach out if they need help.
"We really encourage customers to reach out to us as soon as they're in trouble and we can help them navigate this. There's a lot of pathways and a lot of help that's out there, but really the first step is reaching out to us," Sparks stated.
DTE also offers various energy assistance credits. One is the Home Heating Credit, which is available to those at 110% of the Federal Poverty Level. This credit helps offset winter heating bills, and the request can be filed with a person's taxes.
There is also the Residential Income Assistance Credit, which is a monthly credit on a customer's account equal to the electric service charge and/or the gas customer charge.
In addition to winter protection, DTE offers several other forms of shutoff protection year-round, including critical care and medical emergency protection for customers with life support systems in their houses or who have a proven medical emergency.
DTE also has Active Military Protection. If a person is called to full-time active military duty during a national or state emergency, they can apply for shutoff protection for up to 90 days and can then reapply for extensions.
Lastly, customers at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level may be eligible for DTE's Shutoff Protection Plan. This plan provides year-round protection from service disconnects if monthly payments are met. This program is also available to seniors 65 and older.
