Michigan’s regulated utilities have agreed to extend, through mid-June, the shutoff protections, flexible payment plans and other options they’ve offered to help customers struggling to pay utility bills because of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

Utilities, including the state’s two largest Consumers Energy and DTE Energy, have extended protections for vulnerable customers through June 12, 2020, following Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s extension of her Stay Safer at Home order through that date. Filings with the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) were made by utilities this week in Case No. U-20757 to extend these protections and provide more certainty for customers.

The MPSC in April directed regulated electric and natural gas utilities to file affirmations that certain minimum customer protections were in place. The MPSC’s regulatory jurisdiction does not include municipally owned utilities or rural electric co-operatives, but most of these utilities have observed the call for minimum protections and assistance, which include:

• Suspending disconnections for Michigan’s most vulnerable populations, low-income and senior customers and waiving late fees for eligible low-income customers receiving energy assistance. This includes households facing sudden losses of income or employment because of the pandemic.
• Allowing for customers exposed to, infected by or quarantined because of COVID-19 to be eligible for a 30-day medical hold to avoid a disconnection of service.
• Waiving deposits and reconnection fees for low-income customers, seniors and customers experiencing financial hardship related to COVID-19 and seeking restoration of electric or gas service.
• Extending access to and availability of flexible payment plans to customers financially impacted by COVID-19, and providing customer assistance personnel with the resources necessary to connect customers to available financial assistance and social service agencies.

“The MPSC is encouraged by the utilities’ continued cooperation in assisting customers needing help during such challenging times,” said MPSC Chairman Sally Talberg. “We urge anyone struggling to pay their utility bill to reach out now for help.”

Anyone under financial distress because of COVID-19 is asked to be proactive by:

• Contacting your utility or propane supplier right away to find out what kind of protections, funding, flexible payment options, or energy saving tools and resources are available.
• Calling 211 or go to www.mi211.org for information about getting help paying your utility bills or how to contact agencies that may assist you with your energy bill.
• Applying for State Emergency Relief directly through MI Bridges for bill payment assistance or call 855-275-6424. You can also get assistance with the applications process by calling 211 to be referred to a Michigan Energy Assistance Program grantee that can help.
• Applying for a Home Heating Credit. Visit the Michigan Department of Treasury’s website to see if you qualify. Even though this funding is distributed by the Department of Treasury, you do not need to pay taxes or wait for a tax return to receive this credit, so apply now if you are eligible. For more information, read the MPSC’s Home Heating Credit consumer tip.

Information around this outbreak is changing rapidly. The latest information is available at www.michigan.gov/coronavirus and www.cdc.gov/coronavirus.

LANSING, Mich. – To make life easier on families who need to stay home during the pandemic, Michigan families who participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) soon will be able to buy their food online from two national retailers. In addition, the state is also rolling out “quarantine care kits” with essential goods for families with low and moderate incomes who are in quarantine or isolation.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) announced today that the state expects to have the online purchase option available before the end of this week. Michigan received approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service to allow SNAP recipients to redeem their food assistance benefits at Amazon.com and Walmart.com.

“Before and since the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve worked hard to make it easier for Michiganders to use food aid,” said MDHHS Director Robert Gordon. “Now that families can order groceries online using their EBT cards, it’ll be easier for them to put food on the table. This is especially important for the people who most need to stay home – those who are COVID positive, who are recent close contacts of persons who are positive, or who are vulnerable to COVID due to age or underlying medical conditions.”

Once online purchasing is activated today at 3 p.m. for Amazon and beginning Friday for Walmart, people who receive food assistance will be able to go to the Amazon and Walmart websites and use their  Electronic Benefits Transaction cards – known in Michigan as Bridge Cards – for purchases of eligible food items just as one would use a credit or debit card for an online purchase.

Any delivery fee cannot be paid for using SNAP benefits. Curbside pickup is available at Walmart to avoid a delivery fee. Amazon currently is offering free delivery for orders over $35. Anyone who has cash assistance benefits loaded onto their Bridge Card will not be able to use the cash benefits for online purchases. Women, Infants and Children (WIC) benefits also cannot be used for online purchases.

MDHHS expedited efforts for approval of online purchases when the state was impacted by COVID-19.

In April, more than 1.4 million Michigan residents received food assistance benefits. In recent weeks, the state also has increased the monthly amount of food assistance for many households, provided new or additional benefits for the families of 900,000 children who qualify for free or reduced-price lunches at school, as well as made food assistance available to students in college Career and Technical Education programs.

MDHHS has also begun working with community partners on two projects that deliver food boxes to older adults or people who are otherwise vulnerable due to COVID-19.

The department’s Bureau of Community Action and Economic Opportunity coordinates with local Community Action Agencies around the state to deliver Quarantine Care Kits to eligible households with incomes below 200 percent of the federal poverty level. One kit includes food. Another kit includes hygiene and cleaning products, home goods and masks. The priority is to serve people who are in quarantine or isolation as a result of COVID-19 or are vulnerable to the coronavirus due to their age or underlying medical conditions. Anyone who would like more information can call 211.

The MDHHS Aging & Adult Services Agency is also working with Area Agencies on Aging and federal and local partners on a number of food programs during the pandemic. One new program is the U.S. Department of Agriculture Farmers to Families Food Box. Through this program, Van Eerden Foodservice of Grand Rapids and LaGrasso Bros. Produce of Detroit will provide homebound older Michiganders with fresh fruit and vegetable boxes on weekly basis through the area agencies on aging. Anyone who would like information on any area agencies on aging food program can call the Elder Locator at 800-677-1116.

“Quarantine and isolation are not easy for anybody, and they’re especially hard for people with fewer resources,” Gordon said. “We’re doing everything we can to help families do right for their families and for all Michiganders.”

Information around the COVID-19 outbreak is changing rapidly. The latest information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus.