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Anyone who lives in Michigan knows that it's impossible to survive the winter without adequate heat in your home. If you're struggling to pay your gas and electric bills, consider applying for home heating help through the Michigan Winter Protection Plan.
This plan protects senior and low-income residents from having their electric or natural gas service shut-off between December 1 and March 31. Read on to learn how to get home heating help in Michigan
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Introduction
The Michigan Winter Protection Plan helps senior and low-income residents keep their electric and natural gas service during the winter months. Specifically, it protects qualifying residents who are customers of Commission-regulated natural gas and electric companies, rural electric cooperatives and alternative electric suppliers from having their electricity and natural gas service shut off between December 1 and March 31.Eligible senior citizens participating in the Plan are not required to pay their entire monthly payments between December 1 and March 31. At the end of the winter (after March 31) both low-income and senior citizens participating in the plan must pay off their bills between April and November.
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Qualifications
To qualify for the program, Michigan residents must meet at least one of the following criteria:- be age 65 or older
- receive Michigan Family Independence Agency cash assistance
- receive Food Stamps
- receive Medicaid
- have a household income at or below 150% of poverty level. For example, a household of one earning less than $16,245 or a family of four earning less than $33,075 would be below 150% of poverty level.
Application Process
To apply for the Winter Protection Plan, contact your utility provider. Residents of most Michigan counties have access to the free utility assistance hotline by dialing 2-1-1. If you do not have access to 2-1-1 in your area, check the yellow pages or look on your latest bill for the phone number and address of your utility provider.Your Responsibilities
Participants in the Winter Protection Plan are required to make a monthly payment of at least least 7% of their estimated annual bill, plus a portion of any past due amount, from December through March. To avoid shut-off, participants then must pay the remainder of their winter utility bills between April and November.
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