With seasonally higher home energy bills ahead, help is available for those who may have trouble paying them.
Jodi Formolo from Upper Peninsula Power Company says the Michigan Energy Assistance Program has expanded eligibility for its grants this winter…
Historically, customers at 150 percent of the federal poverty level would have qualified for home energy assistance. Now it’s 60 percent of the state median income. For a family of four, for example, that could be upwards of an income of $70,000 per year.
The state has also made it easier to get help before fall too far behind with your bill…
Historically, to get Michigan Energy Assistance money, customers had to be in a past due situation, or potentially facing a disconnection. That no longer is the case.
State emergency relief is also available for some with past due balances. The Home Heating Credit option will pop up on your tax return – and can be applied for even if you don’t need to pay taxes this year.
It’s a lot to sort out. Formolo suggests a call to the 2-1-1 assistance line for help, or a visit to the UPPCO.com website…
We have a page that’s entirely devoted to assistance and protections. It also lists all of the community partner organizations that we partner with related to the Michigan Energy Assistance Program.
Those agencies include the Superior Watershed Partnership locally, and the Salvation Army statewide.
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