Michigan gas and electric customers who are 65 or older cannot have service shut off for nonpayment from Nov. 1 through March 31, as long as they tell the utility their age. The Michigan Public Service Commission calls this stretch the heating season. The protection is already in effect for this winter.

It does not come with a payment requirement while it lasts. The commission’s senior guide says there are no requirements for specific payment amounts during the heating season. The catch comes on April 1, when an unpaid account moves to a payment plan that must start right away.

Who gets the 65-and-older shield

The commission’s senior protections guide says the shield covers seniors age 65 and older and applies to regulated gas and electric companies and municipal electric utilities. Its first instruction is plain: “Are you age 65 or older? If so, inform your utility company.” In its January 2026 newsletter, the commission described the Winter Protection Plan as shielding customers 65 and older, and low-income customers, from electricity or natural gas disconnection from Nov. 1 to March 31.

Anyone 65 or older who is behind on a heating bill should call the utility this week and give their age. The same applies to a parent or neighbor who is behind and has not made the call. The guide does not say whether the notice must be repeated each year, so a short call each fall is the safe move.

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The January newsletter did not explain how to enroll and pointed readers to michigan.gov/mpsc/gethelp. It also listed the commission’s main office line at 517-284-8100. For a billing problem, the complaint line below is the faster route.

The utility is the first stop, though, not the commission. The senior guide tells customers to inform the utility company, and it says a senior whose service was shut off before Nov. 1 can have it restored during the heating season. No past-due payment, deposit or reconnect fee can be required for that restoration, the guide says.

That matters for anyone whose service is off right now. A senior already without gas or electric should say so on the first call and ask for service to be restored under the heating-season rule.

What the law says for municipal electric customers

State law spells out the protection for municipally owned electric utilities. Section 460.9r of Michigan law defines the heating season as Nov. 1 through March 31. It bars a utility from shutting off service during that period for nonpayment to an eligible senior citizen customer, defined as a customer who is 65 or older and advises the utility of eligibility.

The same section covers eligible low-income customers, though with a condition. A household with income up to 150% of the poverty level, or one that receives state emergency relief, food stamps or Medicaid, is protected if it enters a winter protection payment plan. The plan is a monthly amount equal to 7% of the estimated annual bill. The customer and the utility may agree on other terms, but the customer must show within 14 days of asking for protection that they applied for state or federal heating assistance.

That makes the senior shield simpler than the low-income one. The statute text attaches no payment plan to the senior group. A senior who also meets the low-income test can use either route.

What happens on April 1

The commission’s guide says service shut off before Nov. 1 must be restored during the heating season without payment of the past-due amount, a deposit, a reconnect fee or other charges. When the season ends, it says, the account is placed on a payment plan and payment must begin immediately.

The statute handles an existing balance the same way. If an arrearage exists when an eligible customer applies during the heating season, the utility must let the customer pay it in equal monthly installments between the date of application and the start of the next heating season. A senior with a large balance should ask the utility to put that schedule in writing.

The balance is not erased. A customer who pays nothing from November through March can face a payment plan in April covering everything that piled up. Paying even a small amount during the winter keeps that number from growing.

Other shutoff rules that apply to everyone

The commission’s guide lists other safeguards that apply to all customers. A 10-day disconnect notice is sent before a shutoff, and the utility must make at least two phone attempts. Outside the heating season, shutoffs can happen only between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Customers can name a family member or friend to receive bills and shutoff notices. Medical Emergency and Critical Care shutoff protection programs may also apply, and the guide tells customers to contact their utility for eligibility. Consumers Energy and DTE Energy offer extended time-to-pay programs, and income-eligible customers of those two can make partial payments and choose whether gas or electric service is terminated.

Help with the bill itself comes from other places. The guide lists State Emergency Relief through the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services for customers who received a shutoff notice, and the commission’s newsletter lists the Home Heating Credit and the Michigan Energy Assistance Program. Calling 211 reaches local help. The commission’s complaint line for disputes with a utility is 800-292-9555.

Has the utility been told about a customer 65 or older?

A senior who never gives the utility their age is not on the list, and a balance left alone from November through March turns into a payment plan that has to start the day the heating season ends.

The Senior Property Tax & Home-Cost Relief Kit is a 64-page guide for older homeowners that covers heating, cooling and home-repair help, with a section on utilities and home costs. It includes an application log and renewal calendar so a household can note who was called, when, and what each program said.

Get the heating-season application log and renewal calendar kit for Michigan seniors →

This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.