DETROIT – Temperatures across the Metro Detroit area were in the low to mid-30s on Sunday morning. Some places were in the 20s, which means now is a great time to start thinking about turning on the heat.
DTE Energy has expanded its program to help low-income customers keep up with their bills.
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“It’s a wonderful program,” Evette Hollins, DTE Energy’s Vice President of Community Engagement, said. “We see lots of customers being very successful in this program, and there’s funding available now for customers
It’s called the Low Income Self-Sufficiency Plan. It allows eligible customers, who meet specific income guidelines, to get affordable fixed monthly payments on their bills, as well as up to $3,000 in past-due balance forgiveness.
“Hundreds of thousands of households in the state of Michigan can now qualify for the program who would not have been able to qualify before.”
It’s a two-year program that coincides with the recent expanded Michigan energy assistance program to allow homes earning 60 percent of the state’s median income – which is $70,000 for a family of four – to enroll in the program.
“These are real people,” Tanya Hill, President of The Heat and Warmth Fund (THAW), said. “These aren’t just numbers that we’re dealing with, and I think that’s, that’s what makes it so, so impactful for us.”
“We’re bracing ourselves to see far more than we’ve ever seen before with people needing this type of emergency help,” she added. “With the SNAP inconsistencies, it’s exacerbated their anxiety and really help putting organizations like THAW in a position to really brace for the unknown.”
Some of the key benefits of the Low Income Self-Sufficiency Plan include:
- Utility Shutoff protection
- Affordable fixed monthly payments
- No late fees for the duration of the program
- $3,000 in forgiveness toward balances
The way the forgiveness works is $600 paid upon enrollment, another $600 is paid after 1 year, and up to $1,800 is paid upon completion.
This was all part of a change that the company lobbied for in Lansing to make this program more expansive.
“We’ve done a lot of work over the last year,” Hollins said. “A group of us, including Tanya’s organization, got together about 150 organizations, and we advocated in Lansing to change state law, because before October 1, many customers were not eligible based on their income.
“We advocated to do two things: increase the amount of funding available to low-income customers, and increase the eligibility,” she added. “Now those customers who are 60% or below the state median income can now qualify.”
THAW is celebrating its 40th anniversary and has worked with DTE for years. Hill says programs like this can be transformative for people struggling with their bills.
“Quite frankly, you know, a mother and or an elderly person or veteran should not have to choose between, am I going to pay my heating bill, or am I going to get my prescriptions? Or am I going to buy food?”
Enrollment in the program began on Oct. 1. If you would like more information on the program, you can call DTE Energy at 1-800-477-4747 or visit the official DTE website here.