LANSING – The Michigan House today unveiled a package of bills aimed at keeping seniors and vulnerable
citizens safe during Michigan's harsh winters by requiring utility companies to give longer and more effective notice to
customers at risk of a shutoff, adding protections for elderly and mentally disabled customers, and establishing
procedures to ensure that no one risks injury or death by living in a home without electricity or
heat.
"When the economy is this tough, it's not hard to fall behind on bills," said State Representative Mike Simpson (D-Jackson). "And during the harsh winter
months, losing service can literally be a matter of life and death. Requiring utility companies to improve their
notification process will help keep our families and seniors safe and warm."
The House Democrats' plan aims to prevent tragedies such as the death of 90-year-old Phyllis Willett of
The plan would:
- Prohibit utilities from shutting off a senior's utilities in the winter and
require them to work to ensure that those with mental disabilities don't have their utilities shut
off.
- Require utilities to give customers at least 15 days notice before shutoff
and notify them in person or by certified mail, and give low-income customers who are part of the Winter
Protection Program 30 days to pay their delinquent bill before shutting off service.
- Mandate that utilities visit the home of a senior customer who has not
restored service within three business days to tell them how they can resolve the situation.
In addition, the plan requires utilities to waive all fees and fines associated with a
shutoff if the company failed to provide proper notice. The utility also must waive any costs for resuming service and
pay a fine that will go in to the State Emergency Relief Fund, which helps residents who can't pay their energy bills.
Utilities would also be responsible for costs the customer incurred, such as damage to the home from burst pipes, if
those costs resulted from the company wrongly shutting off power.