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The Winter Protection Plan protects enrolled seniors (age 65 and older) and low-income customers whose annual household income is at or below 150% of the federal poverty level, from service shutoffs and high utility bill payments during the heating season (November 1 through March 31).
Who is eligible?
You may qualify for protection and enroll if you receive any of the following services:
Receive Michigan Department of Health and Human Services cash assistance including Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
Food Assistance Program (SNAP)
Medicaid
Meet annual income guidelines (see below)
Income-eligible customers must pay at least seven percent of their estimated annual bill each month during the protection period. If an arrearage exists at the time you apply for shutoff protection, you must pay the arrearage in equal monthly installments between the date you apply and the start of the next heating season.
If a customer is income eligible and their utility service was shut off before applying for shutoff protection, UPPCO cannot require a fee, a security deposit, or an amount greater than one–twelfth of the arrearage in order to restore service or participate in the program.
All customers 65 or older are eligible regardless of income. However, you are responsible for all service used. At the end of the protection period, all customers must arrange to pay the outstanding bills before the next heating season. If you are a senior citizen whose utility service may have been shut off before applying for the Winter Protection Program, UPPCO must restore your service during the heating season without any payments. Although no specific payments are required during the heating season, seniors are encouraged to pay what they can to avoid large payments when the protection period ends.
Participation does not relieve you from the responsibility for paying for electricity usage but does prevent a shutoff during the winter months. At the end of the protection period, both income-qualified customers and senior customers participating in the plan must arrange with UPPCO to pay any money owed before the start of the next protection period.
Note: Winter shutoff protections do not apply to customers whose power has been shut off, or who have a pending shutoff, due to unauthorized utility service within the past 2 years at the customer's current address. This applies until all charges are paid or until the customer makes satisfactory payment arrangements with UPPCO.
The account holder who is an eligible senior citizen, age 65 and older, is protected from disconnection of service during the heating season (November 1 through March 31) at the customer’s documented personal residence. UPPCO will restore service for the customer during the heating season without payment of the amount due, deposits, reconnection fees, or other charges. At the end of the heating season, the account will be placed on a payment plan, and payment must begin immediately. Contact UPPCO directly to enroll in the Winter Protection Plan.
You can receive a medical hold preventing service from being shut off for nonpayment on your natural gas and/or electric bill for up to 21 days if you or a member of your household has an existing medical condition that would be aggravated by the lack of utility service. Your condition must be certified by a physician or public health office on a Michigan Public Service Commission-approved Medical Certification Form. The form must state the medical condition, medical equipment, and specific time period a shutoff of utility service would make the medical condition worse.
If the shutoff of service occurred before a medical emergency is approved, the utility will restore service at no cost to you for 21 days. You can obtain an extension of the medical hold and a postponement of shutoff of service for a total of 63 days (3 separate medical holds) in any 12-month period per household member. Annually, UPPCO is not required to grant shutoff extensions totaling more than 126 days per household. Customers will be granted a three-business-day grace period from shutoff of utility service for time to have the Medical Certification Form completed. UPPCO will not require payment for an after-hours reconnect fee or a deposit as a condition of restoring service. The Medical Certification Form is available from the link above and can be requested in hard copy by calling UPPCO at (906) 449-2013.
A customer or household can receive protection from disconnection or have services restored due to inability to pay if there is an identified critical care customer in the home, and interruption of service would be immediately life-threatening. A critical care customer is somebody who requires home medical equipment or a life support system that must be certified by a physician or public health office on a Michigan Public Service Commission-approved Medical Certification Form.
Customers will be granted a three-business-day grace period from shutoff of electric service for time to have the Medical Certification Form completed. You will be contacted by UPPCO when any scheduled service interruptions occur. UPPCO will also notify you before any remote shutoff of utility services. If critical care status changes, you or a person in your household must let UPPCO know of the status change. However, if a person’s status does not change, you must submit an updated Medical Certification Form to the utility on an annual basis. The Medical Certification Form is available from the link above and can be requested in hard copy by calling UPPCO at (906) 449-2013.
If you or your spouse is an UPPCO customer of record and either of you is called to full-time active military service by the President of the United States or the Governor of Michigan during a national or state emergency or war, you may apply for shutoff protection of your electric service for up to 90 days. You may also reapply for extensions of this protection. UPPCO may request verification of active duty status. In addition, you must notify UPPCO when your status changes. Contact UPPCO to set up a payment plan for all past-due amounts to be paid within 12 months. You will still be required to pay for services used while in the program.
