LANSING – State Representatives Vicki Barnett (D-Farmington Hills) and Lisa Brown (D-West Bloomfield) said today that a new bipartisan package of bills will protect residents during the harsh Michigan winter by banning utility shutoffs during the winter months.
"We cannot leave people alone in dangerously cold temperatures just because they can't afford to pay their bills," Barnett said. "Shutoffs disproportionately affect the most vulnerable among us, and they must end. Essential services like heat should not be shut off without a documented home visit, and never during winter."
The plan, which was introduced today in both the House and Senate:
- Permanently bans winter shutoffs for all utilities from Dec. 1 to March 31.
- Requires utilities to give all customers at least 15 days notice before shutoff either in person or by certified mail.
- Places all utility providers, including municipal electric companies, under the authority of the Public Service Commission (PSC) for provisions governing shutoffs.
- Prevents providers from using electric limiters until the PSC establishes uniform standards governing their usage.
The plan also requires electric providers to work with state and local agencies in order to help consumers obtain assistance if they're having trouble paying their bills.
The plan aims to prevent tragedies like the death of a 93-year-old World War II veteran in Bay City. Marvin Schur was found frozen to death last month after Bay City Electric Light and Power, a municipal utility not subject to PSC rules, placed an electric limiter on his home. Tragedy struck again last week when two children died in a Fruitport Township house fire caused by kerosene heaters the families was using to heat the home after the gas company shut off service.