Lansing, Michigan – Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel keeps her promise to protect residents from rising utility expenses again. This is because Consumers Energy has announced plans to raise natural gas rates again. She made the remark after the corporation sent a “Filing Announcement” to the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC), saying it will ask for another rate increase in December.
State law says that utilities have to tell the MPSC at least 60 days before they file a formal rate case. The Commission approved a $157.5 million rate hike for Consumers Energy’s natural gas customers on September 16. The company’s notification was filed less than a month later. The utility’s last proposal was for $248 million, which would have raised household costs by about 12%. We should have more information about the new idea in the next several weeks.
Nessel said that Michigan’s two biggest utilities, DTE Energy and Consumers Energy, keep asking for rate hikes. She said that families who are already struggling with high costs shouldn’t have to pay more.
“Michigan families are doing everything they can to manage rising costs, and they shouldn’t have to brace for rate hike after rate hike from DTE and Consumers Energy,” Nessel said. “We cannot keep allowing these utilities to treat these hikes as business as usual while their customers struggle to pay their bills.”
Read also: Flint launches Emergency Food Voucher Program to aid families hit by federal shutdown
The Attorney General promised to fight any charges in the new file that were arbitrary or unsubstantiated. She stressed that her office had always found millions of dollars in costs that couldn’t be justified. In the past, investigations have shown that utility companies have charged customers for things like private jet trips for executives and other unnecessary costs that were not included in the bills.
The MPSC is now looking at a number of rate cases that are still open, such as DTE’s request for an electric rate (U-21860) and Consumers Energy’s electric rate case (U-21870). DTE has also told the public that it plans to ask for a new natural gas rate rise in the near future.
Read also: Genesee County rallies to fight hunger as federal shutdown halts SNAP benefits
Nessel’s office has been involved in rate cases before the Commission for a long time, acting as a watchdog for Michigan consumers. Her renewed commitment means that utility filings will continue to be examined closely as residents get ready for perhaps higher energy bills this winter.