Lansing, MI - With brutally cold weather barreling down on the Great Lakes State, the Michigan Public Service Commission has provided a number of important tips to help Michigan utility customers stay safe and warm.
Supplemental heating sources, generators and other risks
- Space heaters, fireplaces and other supplemental heating sources bring risks including fires. Portable heating fires in homes peak in January and February. Keep your household safe with these MPSC’s guidelines for safe use of supplemental heating.
- If your power goes out and you use a generator to supply electricity, do so safely by following the MPSC’s tips on portable generator safety.
- Our power outage checklist can help you be prepared in case your electric service goes out.
- Remember to be sure that your furnace exhaust isn’t covered by snow or ice. A covered exhaust can lead to carbon monoxide venting into your home.
Utility bill assistance
- Households struggling to pay energy bills should contact their utility, call 211 or go to mi211.org.
- Information on emergency bill assistance, affordable payment plans and other forms of help is available through the MPSC’s consumer tip sheet on applying for utility assistance, a tip sheet on energy assistance and shutoff protection, and the Be Winterwise
Energy savings
- Help reduce your energy use — and utility bills — with seasonal and year-round tips on energy savings from the U.S. Department of Energy, which publishes fall and winter tips and year-round ways to save.
“We urge Michiganders to follow safety precautions and be prepared during this cold snap,” said MPSC Chair Dan Scripps. “These consumer alerts provide useful information to help families stay safe and warm. We also urge anyone struggling to pay their energy bills to reach out for help to keep their lights and heat on this winter.”
For information about the MPSC, visit www.Michigan.gov/MPSC, sign up for its monthly newsletter or other listservs, or follow the Commission on Twitter or LinkedIn.