4 Heating Bill Help Programs Michiganders Can Apply for Before Winter
Michigan’s winter shutoff protection started Nov. 1, and if you qualify, it stops your utility from shutting you off through March 31.
It doesn’t pay your bill, though.
Here’s where Michiganders can turn for help paying it, and how to apply before winter settles in.
Note: This is general information, not financial advice. Eligibility rules, income limits and benefit amounts are subject to change, so confirm the current details with the Michigan Public Service Commission.
1. State Emergency Relief
State Emergency Relief (SER) helps Michigan households with a heating bill that’s already past due or headed for shutoff.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) runs it.
You apply online through the state’s MI Bridges website.
Your household income has to land at or below 150% of the federal poverty level.
Beyond income, you need a shutoff or past-due notice from your utility, a declared need for a deliverable fuel such as propane, or a verified energy-related home repair.
Your cash assets and your material assets each have to stay at or under $15,000.
SER issues one heating payment per household between Oct. 1 and Sept. 30 each year.
Make it count.
SER’s Monthly Income Limits
State Emergency Relief’s income limit for energy help is $1,995 a month for one person.
The limit for a household of four is $4,125 a month, according to the MDHHS income table that took effect Oct. 1, 2026.
The limit is $2,705 for two people and $3,415 for three.
SER counts the income and the assets of everyone in your household, not only the person who applies.
2. Michigan Energy Assistance Program
The Michigan Energy Assistance Program (MEAP) pays all or part of the energy bill for your primary home, whether you heat with natural gas, electricity, propane or heating oil.
Nonprofits and local, state and tribal governments receive the estimated $93 million in fiscal 2027 grants and deliver the help.
That’s why a local MEAP provider handles your application.
You qualify at or below 60% of state median income, or if you already take part in a program such as SER or food assistance.
State rules direct MEAP providers to prioritize vulnerable populations.
Your electric utility has to have opted in to the program’s funding charge.
The commission posts a list of the electric providers that did.
Dial 2-1-1, and the line connects you with a MEAP provider who can pay all or part of your energy bill.
It’s one phone call.
Psst! How much do you know about Michigan’s winter heating help? Take our quiz and see if you can ace it.
Quiz
Michigan Winter Bill IQ
Test yourself on Michigan’s shutoff rules and winter heating help. We bet you can’t get them all right. Prove us wrong?
Since 1985, the Heat and Warmth Fund (THAW) says it has distributed about how much in assistance to Michigan households?
3. Utility Bill Credits
Michigan's utility bill credits come off your gas or electric account, so they lower your heating bill every month.
DTE Energy lists the Residential Income Assistance Credit at $8.50 a month off an electric account and $14.50 a month off a gas account.
Eight utilities offer that credit: Consumers Energy, DTE Energy, Indiana Michigan Power, SEMCO Energy Gas, Alpena Power, Xcel Energy, Michigan Gas Utilities and Upper Peninsula Power.
A second credit, the Low Income Assistance Credit, takes $30 to $40 off a monthly bill for select customers.
DTE Energy, Consumers Energy, SEMCO Gas and Michigan Gas Utilities offer it.
The two credits share one income test.
You qualify at or below 150% of the poverty level, or if you take part in Medicaid or food assistance.
The second credit can carry additional qualifications.
DTE Energy's page lists only the Residential credit, so ask which credit your account gets.
Customers 65 and older can get a third option, the Senior Credit, from DTE Energy, Consumers Energy or Michigan Gas Utilities once they notify their utility that they're eligible.
To apply with DTE, you upload a photo ID for each adult in your household, proof of any dependents and proof of income to its online document portal.
Two of your most recent pay stubs, dated within the past 60 days, are one accepted proof of income.
It's worth a phone call.
Which number you dial depends on whether DTE Energy or Consumers Energy sends your bill.
Call DTE Energy at 800-477-4747 or Consumers Energy at 800-477-5050.
SEMCO Gas customers dial 800-624-2019, while Michigan Gas Utilities customers dial 800-401-6402.
Upper Peninsula Power takes calls at 800-562-7680.
Xcel Energy's Northern States Power is 800-895-4999, Indiana Michigan Power is 800-672-2231 and Alpena Power is 989-358-4900.
4. Veterans Trust Fund Emergency Grants
Veterans and their families can ask the Veterans Trust Fund for help through an emergency grant, including the need for energy assistance.
It's a grant.
Veterans have to meet the fund's service and discharge rules.
Dependents can apply in certain circumstances.
You apply through the Trust Fund county committee that serves your county.
The committee asks for your discharge papers, proof of residence, the bills you need help with and evidence that you tried other agencies first.
Call the Michigan Veteran Resource Service Center at 800-642-4838 if you're not sure where to start.
Shutoff Protection Before Winter
Michigan's winter shutoff protection doesn't pay a heating bill, but it stops your utility from shutting you off from Nov. 1 to March 31 if you qualify.
In the Upper Peninsula, where winter shows up early and overstays, that start date can feel generous.
The Low Income Winter Protection Plan covers customers at or below 150% of the poverty level.
You can qualify through cash assistance from MDHHS, Supplemental Security Income, food assistance or Medicaid instead.
To enroll, you show proof of your income, plus proof that you applied for state or federal heating assistance.
The catch?
You pay at least 7% of your estimated annual bill each month while the protection lasts.
You pay any past-due balance in equal monthly installments until the next heating season begins.
Before that season starts, you arrange to pay all outstanding bills.
Contact your utility to verify your eligibility and set up a payment plan.
Customers 65 and older get Senior Citizen Shutoff Protection for the same Nov. 1 to March 31 stretch.
Your utility verifies your eligibility for it.
Medical Emergency Protection adds a 21-day shutoff hold when a physician or public health official certifies the need.
Active-Duty Military Shutoff Protection gives a customer and spouse 90 days when either is called to full-time active duty during certain emergencies or wars.
Psst! How ready is your household to ask for heating bill help? Run through this checklist and see where you stand.
Other Michigan Help Paying Heating Bill Programs
The Michigan Home Heating Credit, which the Michigan Department of Treasury runs, is closed for now.
The window ran from January to Sept. 30, so it's closed until January.
Both homeowners and renters can qualify.
Your income has to fall within Treasury's income tables.
The credit typically reopens in January.
The federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) funds heating help in Michigan, according to the national LIHEAP Clearinghouse.
LIHEAP funding is set by fiscal year, so the dollar amounts change.
The Weatherization Assistance Program takes a different route because it cuts your bill instead of paying it.
Households at or below 60% of state median income qualify.
Skipping weatherization is one of the false economies in our frugality piece.
FAQ
Here are answers to common questions.
How do I get help paying my heating bill in Michigan?
Call 2-1-1 to reach a Michigan Energy Assistance Program provider, or apply online for State Emergency Relief through MI Bridges.
Your utility can tell you which bill credits you qualify for.
Is the Michigan Home Heating Credit still open?
The application window runs from January through Sept. 30, so it's closed from October through December.
When does Michigan's winter shutoff protection run?
The Low Income Winter Protection Plan and Senior Citizen Shutoff Protection both run from Nov. 1 to March 31.
Contact your utility to verify your eligibility.
Can I get heating help if I use propane or fuel oil?
Yes.
State Emergency Relief covers a declared need for a deliverable fuel such as propane.
The Michigan Energy Assistance Program covers propane, heating oil and other deliverable heating fuels.
Who qualifies for the Michigan Energy Assistance Program?
Your household needs income at or below 60% of state median income, or participation in a program such as State Emergency Relief or food assistance.
Your electric utility also has to have opted in to the program's funding charge.
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