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Consumers Energy outlines assistance programs for Jackson customers
Summary
A Consumers Energy representative briefed Jackson City Council on utility-assistance programs — including expanded crisis payments, an income‑based CARE enrollment and energy‑efficiency offerings for income‑qualified customers — and described local enrollment partners.
Audrey Dean, an energy assistance outreach consultant for Consumers Energy, described utility-assistance and efficiency programs available to city customers during the Jackson City Council meeting Sept. 30.
Dean said state emergency relief, administered by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, provides crisis payments for customers who are past due or shut off and who fall at or below 150% of the federal poverty level. “Starting tomorrow … a person can receive up to $600 per commodity,” she said, noting the increase from $500 at the end of the prior fiscal year.
Dean called the company’s CARE program “our gold standard for assistance.” She said CARE now uses a 60% state median income threshold under recent state legislation (rather than the previous 150% federal poverty level threshold used for state emergency relief), and that accepted applicants have past balances frozen, receive a lower monthly payment and receive wraparound services from nonprofit partners. Dean said the CARE enrollment period runs 24 months.
She also outlined other programs: Helping Neighbors, an energy‑waste‑reduction program for income‑qualified customers with a limit at about 200% of the federal poverty level; a landlord‑focused “Lending a Hand” option that pays 70% of efficiency measures when landlords pay the remaining 30%; a home heating credit administered at Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites (Dean said the average credit last year was about $190); and gift funding that can serve customers up to 400% of the federal poverty level.
Dean urged residents to use MyBridges or call 211 to connect with community navigators and local nonprofits that help enroll customers in CARE and other programs. She said United Way of South Central Michigan and local community action agencies are among Consumers Energy’s enrollment partners.
Council members asked about renter eligibility; Dean said Helping Neighbors is limited for renters but Lending a Hand is available to landlords renting to income‑qualified tenants. She also encouraged customers to use the company’s online “My Personalized Offerings” tool, which presents individualized options such as credits, payment plans and outage alerts after a short questionnaire.
The council did not take formal action on the presentation. Staff said they would help distribute the information to constituents.
