In Michigan, your electric service cannot be shut off from November 1 through March 31 if you qualify for and enroll in the state’s Winter Protection Plan. That five-month window is the answer most people are looking for when they ask what months your electric cannot be shut off in Michigan, but it is not the whole picture: separate rules protect critical care patients, households with a medical emergency, and active-duty military families at any point in the year. None of these protections turn on automatically. You have to ask for them, and in most cases you have to document that you qualify.
The Winter Protection Plan Covers November 1 Through March 31
The Winter Protection Plan is Michigan’s main cold-weather shield. Once you are enrolled, your electric or gas utility cannot disconnect you for nonpayment during the heating season as long as you keep making the required monthly payment. Enrollment runs through your utility, not a state office, so you call the company that bills you and ask to sign up.
You qualify if any one of these applies to your household:
- You are age 65 or older.
- You receive cash assistance, food assistance, or Medicaid through the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
- Your household income is at or below 150% of the federal poverty level. For 2026, that is $23,940 for one person, $32,460 for two, and $49,500 for a family of four.1State of Michigan Public Service Commission. Energy Assistance and Shut-Off Protection
Have your proof ready when you call: date of birth, benefit letter, or income documentation, depending on which category you fit.
What You Still Pay During the Protected Months
Enrollment does not pause your bill. Low-income customers on the plan pay 7% of their estimated annual electric bill each month from November through March. On an $1,800 estimated annual bill, that works out to $126 a month. Keep up with that payment and your service stays on even if your actual usage runs higher.1State of Michigan Public Service Commission. Energy Assistance and Shut-Off Protection
The balance that builds up over the winter does not disappear. From April through November, you pay it off in installments. Miss those installments and you lose Winter Protection eligibility the next year, which is how many households end up facing a shut-off the following fall.1State of Michigan Public Service Commission. Energy Assistance and Shut-Off Protection
When You Can Still Be Disconnected in Winter
Winter Protection has limits. If you default on your payment arrangement or fail to apply for energy assistance when your utility directs you to, the utility can disconnect service after proper notice, even in January. The one group with absolute cold-weather protection is eligible seniors, who cannot be shut off during the heating season regardless of payment status.2Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs. Michigan Administrative Code R 460.101 to R 460.169 – Section: R 460.138
Year-Round Protections That Don’t Depend on the Calendar
Three other sets of rules protect specific households in every month of the year, not just the heating season.
Critical Care Customers
If anyone in your household depends on life-support equipment such as a ventilator, oxygen concentrator, or dialysis machine, your utility cannot shut off electric service for nonpayment when doing so would be immediately life-threatening. This protection applies every month.3Legal Information Institute. Michigan Administrative Code R 460.130a – Critical Care Customer Shut Off
To qualify, a physician or medical facility must complete the Michigan Public Service Commission’s Medical Certification Form, identifying the equipment and confirming the risk. The certification has to be renewed every year. If the utility plans a maintenance interruption, it must notify you ahead of time, and it cannot use a remote shut-off switch without first making person-to-person contact.4Michigan Public Service Commission. Are You a Critical Care Utility Customer?
Critical care status prevents disconnection, not billing. You still owe for what you use, and your utility must work out a payment arrangement rather than cut power.
Medical Emergency Postponement
For shorter-term health crises, Michigan requires utilities to postpone a shut-off for up to 21 days when a household member has a medical condition that losing power would worsen. The same MPSC Medical Certification Form applies, this time filled out by a physician or public health official identifying the condition, any equipment involved, and the timeframe at risk.5Legal Information Institute. Michigan Administrative Code R 460.130 – Medical Emergency
If the emergency continues, you can extend the postponement in additional 21-day blocks with updated certifications. The cap for any single household member is 63 days within a 12-month period. For the whole household combined, the cap is 126 days within 12 months. The protection runs year-round and buys you time to arrange payment, but the balance still accrues.
Active-Duty Military Households
If you or your spouse has been called to full-time active duty and that service has reduced household income, your utility must keep electric service on for at least 90 days. You can request additional 90-day extensions as long as you still meet the conditions.6Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs. Michigan Administrative Code R 460.101 to R 460.169 – Section: R 460.133
A separate state law, MCL 32.517, also protects service members during the first 90 days of active service ordered by the governor or during wartime, preventing utilities from cutting off heat, water, electricity, or gas over unpaid bills.7State of Michigan Attorney General. Utility Shut-Off Protection
You still owe for the service. Once the final 90-day period ends, the utility must let you pay any past-due balance in equal monthly installments over up to 12 months.6Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs. Michigan Administrative Code R 460.101 to R 460.169 – Section: R 460.133
Limits That Apply to Every Residential Customer
Even if you are not enrolled in any protection plan, Michigan’s administrative rules restrict when and why a utility can disconnect you.
Shut-Offs Only Happen in a Narrow Window
Utilities can disconnect residential service only between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. They cannot shut off service on any day their offices are closed to the public, or the day before. That rules out weekends, holidays, and the Fridays before them. During the heating season, utilities also cannot disconnect a customer who has defaulted on a shut-off protection program on any Friday.8Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs. Michigan Administrative Code R 460.101 to R 460.169 – Section: R 460.141
Reasons a Utility Is Not Allowed to Use
No matter what month it is, your electric utility cannot shut you off for any of these reasons:
- An unpaid bill at a different address.
- Nonpayment of a different type of utility service, such as using an unpaid gas bill to justify cutting electric.
- Charges for merchandise or appliances purchased through the utility.
- Another person’s debt, including a landlord’s unpaid bill, with limited exceptions for unoccupied premises or your written consent.
- A pending formal or informal complaint you have filed with the utility or the Michigan Public Service Commission.2Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs. Michigan Administrative Code R 460.101 to R 460.169 – Section: R 460.138
The 10-Day Notice Rule
Before any disconnection, the utility must send written notice by first-class mail or personal service at least 10 days before the proposed shut-off date. The notice has to state the reason, the earliest date service could be cut, and your right to a payment plan or complaint. At least one day before the actual disconnection, the utility must also make at least two attempts to reach you by phone.9Legal Information Institute. Michigan Administrative Code R 460.139 – Notice of Shut Off
If You Already Have a Shut-Off Notice
A notice is not a disconnection. You have at least 10 days from the date on it, and often more if you act quickly. Call your utility first. Ask about a payment arrangement for amounts you cannot pay in full, and if you qualify for the Winter Protection Plan or any other protection, say so and ask to enroll during the call. Have your eligibility documents in front of you.
If you think the bill is wrong, dispute it before the shut-off date. Your service cannot be cut while a complaint is pending. If the utility will not resolve it, file a complaint with the Michigan Public Service Commission at 1-800-292-9555; the MPSC forwards the complaint to the utility, which has up to 10 business days to investigate and respond.10Michigan Public Service Commission. Inquiries and Complaints
Ignoring the notice is the one move that strips every protection the rules give you.
Help With the Bill Itself
Protection from shut-off is not the same as help paying. If you are falling behind, call 2-1-1, Michigan’s statewide referral line, to find local assistance programs and nonprofits that can cover past-due balances.11Michigan 211. Michigan 211
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services runs the State Emergency Relief program, which pays toward heating and electric bills for low-income households facing an imminent shut-off or already disconnected. SER is designed for one-time emergencies, so it typically covers a specific past-due amount rather than ongoing bills.12State of Michigan. Emergency Relief – Home, Utilities and Burial
Most major Michigan utilities, including DTE Energy and Consumers Energy, run their own low-income payment plans and partner with local nonprofits. These programs are not always well-advertised, so ask customer service directly what you qualify for.