Consumers Energy connects customers in need to programs to offset bills ahead of winter season

Rhea-AI Summary

Consumers Energy (NYSE:CMS) opened enrollment Oct. 14, 2025 for the CARE program and updated state assistance thresholds to help income‑qualified customers with winter heating bills.

Key points: CARE is a 24‑month fixed monthly payment plan that pays down past due balances; program funding comes from the Low‑Income Energy Assistance Fund (LIEAF) surcharge on retail electric meters; CARE and MEAP eligibility are expanded immediately with new SER thresholds and automatic eligibility for some state assistance recipients.

Positive

• CARE offers a 24‑month fixed monthly payment plan
• Eligibility expanded immediately; prior SER not required for all MEAP applicants
• SER caps increased to $600 and $900 for qualifying customers
• Home Heating Credit average of $250 available starting Jan 1, 2026
• Consumers Energy serves 6.8 million Michigan residents

Negative

• CARE enrollment is first‑come, first‑serve, limiting availability
• Assistance funded via LIEAF surcharge on retail electric meters
• SER one‑time payments capped at $600/$900, which may not cover larger past‑due balances

Insights

Consumer-affordability analyst

Consumers Energy expands and clarifies low-income assistance ahead of winter, enlarging eligibility and raising emergency caps.

Consumers Energy links income-qualified customers to the CARE program funded by the LIEAF, offering a 24-month fixed payment plan that reduces past-due balances while customers make regular payments. Eligibility now explicitly includes households at or below 60% State Median Income and removes a universal prior requirement for State Emergency Relief (SER) applications, while households at or below 150% of the federal poverty level may still face SER screening in crisis situations.

The announcement also reports higher SER one-time payment ceilings for customers at 150% FPL: the state will cover shut-off amounts up to $600 for electric and gas customers and up to $900 for all-electric households. Beginning January 1, qualifying households below 110% FPL may receive a Home Heating Credit averaging $250. The program adds potential energy-efficiency upgrades via the Helping Neighbors Program, and CARE enrollment is open on a first-come, first-served basis.

The business mechanism is straightforward: the utility connects eligible customers to state-funded and utility-administered programs so customers receive payment plans, one-time relief, and efficiency upgrades that reduce arrears and consumption. The revealed numerical thresholds and caps define program scope and near-term demand, and the January 1 start for the Home Heating Credit creates a discrete milestone to watch.

Key dependencies and risks include available program capacity (CARE is first-come, first-served), the administrative interaction between SER and MEAP (some households still require SER before MEAP), and operational execution by agency partners handling applications. These items determine how many customers actually receive aid and how quickly past-due balances are reduced.

Concrete items to monitor in the short term: enrollment pace for CARE, the volume of SER claims using the new $600/$900 caps, and the rollout of the Home Heating Credit beginning January 1. Monitor these measures over the next 30–120 days for program uptake and operational strain, and over the winter season for realized reductions in past-due accounts.

Income qualified customers may now be eligible for payment assistance

JACKSON, Mich., Oct. 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Michigan's winter is coming, and Consumers Energy stands ready to assist customers who may need extra help paying their heating bills this season. Several of the energy provider's agency partners have started accepting applications through the Consumers Affordable Resource for Energy (CARE) program. The Consumers Energy program is funded through the Low-Income Energy Assistance Fund (LIEAF), a surcharge on retail electric meters of participating Michigan utilities. LIEAF falls under the Michigan Energy Assistance Program (MEAP) which offers income qualified customers affordable payment options to help stay on top of their energy bills.

Customers in need of assistance with their energy bill can call 2-1-1 to be connected to nonprofit organizations in their area who can help process applications.

CARE is a 24-month affordable payment plan that gives qualifying customers an affordable fixed monthly bill and pays down past due balances while customers make regular monthly payments.

"We are committed to ensuring these much need dollars are available to our customers most in need," said Brian Lewis, Consumers Energy's Senior Executive Director of Customer Experience and Programs. "By connecting our most vulnerable customers with the resources to stay on top of their energy bills we are advancing energy equity for all Michiganders."

To qualify for CARE, customers must meet the following criteria.

• Must be a Consumers Energy electric or gas customer
• Must meet household income guidelines at or below 60% State Median Income (SMI)
• No unaddressed theft, fraud, or bankruptcy
• Account address must be the applicant's primary residence or responsible third party authorized to apply on customer's behalf
• Customers who are already receiving some other form of state assistance may also now be automatically eligible.

The following new qualifications go into effect immediately, expanding eligibility for additional customers.

• Prior application for State Emergency Relief (SER) is no longer required for all MEAP applicants. However, households experiencing crisis (past-due notices, a fuel tank below 25% full, and/or a stated need for combustible fuel) who are at or below 150% of the federal poverty level (FPL) may be asked to apply for SER prior to applying for MEAP.

CARE enrollment is now open and is on a first come, first serve basis. Customers with a past due balance can apply for State Emergency Relief (SER) by visiting newmibridges.gov.

As a CARE program participant, customers may also be able to get no-cost, in-home energy efficiency upgrades to help reduce energy costs. This is done through our Helping Neighbors Program. To learn more, call 877-448-9433 or visit ConsumersHelpingNeighbors.com

In addition to the CARE, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) has also increased the caps for dollars given to qualifying customers through the State Emergency Relief (SER) fund. SER offers one-time payments to customers who have past-due bills.

The following new thresholds for customers at 150% of the federal poverty level (FPL) go into effect immediately:

• Electric and gas customers: state pays shut-off amount with a $600 cap for each
• All-electric households: state pays shut-off amount with $900 cap

Beginning January 1, qualifying customers may also be eligible for a Home Heating Credit (HHC) by filing a claim through the Michigan Department of Treasury. Customers do not need to file taxes in order to be eligible for the credit. The credit, which on average is $250, is applied to customer bills whose income is below 110% of the federal poverty level.

For additional resources available through Consumers Energy, customers can visit ConsumersEnergy.com/Assistance.

Consumers Energy is Michigan's largest energy provider, providing natural gas and/or electricity to 6.8 million of the state's 10 million residents in all 68 Lower Peninsula counties. We are committed to delivering reliable and affordable energy to our customers 24/7. 

For more information about Consumers Energy, go to ConsumersEnergy.com.

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SOURCE Consumers Energy

FAQ

What is the CARE program Consumers Energy opened on Oct. 14, 2025 (CMS)?

CARE is a 24‑month affordable payment plan that sets a fixed monthly bill and pays down past due balances for qualifying customers.

How has Consumers Energy expanded eligibility for MEAP and CARE on Oct. 14, 2025 (CMS)?

New rules remove prior SER requirement for many MEAP applicants and allow automatic eligibility for some state assistance recipients, effective immediately.

What are the new State Emergency Relief (SER) caps announced Oct. 14, 2025 for Consumers Energy customers (CMS)?

For customers at 150% FPL, SER will pay shut‑off amounts with a $600 cap for gas/electric and $900 cap for all‑electric households.

How can Consumers Energy customers apply for CARE or SER assistance (CMS)?

Call 2‑1‑1 to connect with local nonprofits for CARE or apply for SER online at newmibridges.gov.

When does the Home Heating Credit apply and how much is it on average for Consumers Energy customers (CMS)?

Beginning Jan. 1, qualifying customers may file for the Home Heating Credit, which averages $250 and is applied to bills for incomes below 110% FPL.