Attorney General Dana Nessel is an advocate for utility customers in Michigan. The Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) regulates electric and natural gas companies that are owned by investors. This includes their rates and services. The MPSC also oversees the phone and cable industries. You can learn more about the MPSC on its website.
AG Nessel intervenes in electric and natural gas cases. She gets involved to fight for affordable and reliable service. Customers should only have to pay for rates that are reasonable and prudent.
Attorney General Nessel wants to hear about your outage credit experience. If you would like to assist her office with its advocacy efforts on behalf of all Michigan utility customers and help identify outage-related trends and patterns, please fill out this form. This form also allows you to file an Outage Credit Inquiry. It will take less than five minutes to complete the form.
In March 2023, the MPSC released updated outage credit criteria for MPSC regulated utilities. Credits are now automatic, and the outage credits can be based on the length of an outage, the frequency of outages within a 12-month period, or both. For more information, please review the MPSC's tip sheet (PDF) that lists the specific criteria for credits. Additional information on outages can be found on the MPSC's Customer Outage History page.
You should review your utility bill each month. If you have questions about a charge or the way it was calculated, ask your utility company. When paying your bill, only use a method directly provided by your utility. These methods are often listed on your bill or your online utility account.
If you think you should have received an outage credit but did not, you should first contact your utility company. It may take 1-2 billing cycles for the outage credit to appear. You can also fill out this form, and the Department of Attorney General will send your information to your utility provider. The Department will ask your utility to investigate and provide you an update. If you are not satisfied with your utility’s response, you can also file a complaint with the MPSC.
Your utility may charge an additional fee when paying with a credit card or another method. Be aware of these charges and consider other payment methods that do not have additional fees. If you are having trouble paying your bill, please check out the resources found on the MPSC's Assistance Information page, which also provides information on shut-off protection programs.
Michigan utility customers deserve to have reliable utility service - rain or shine. But we often find ourselves worried anytime we hear about an incoming storm. We ask our family and neighbors: Will the power go out? If so, for how long?
Attorney General Nessel wants all Michigan customers to have reliable utility service. Last year, the MPSC began reviewing financial incentives and penalties for outages and distribution performance. The MPSC opened a docket, U-21400, to explore the issues. AG Nessel is closely monitoring this matter. She filed her latest round of comments on March 1, 2024. In these comments, AG Nessel continues to fight for a workable and fair system. If you would like provide your own comments, please visit the e-Docket page for U-21400. At the top of the docket page, select “Submit Comment.” The MPSC also provides screenshot instructions for filing a comment (PDF). You can also make a comment at a MPSC meeting. You can join a meeting via phone, computer, or in-person. And meeting information is posted on the MPSC’s online calendar. If you want to follow this matter going forward, you can be notified of new public filings in this matter. You can do this by visiting the e-Docket page and selecting “Notify Me of New Approved Fillings.”
We also invite you to review the 2023 Utility Performance Report. This report provides rankings on reliability, affordability, and impacts on the environment. The Citizens Utility Board of Michigan (CUB of MI) published the report. CUB of MI is a nonpartisan, nonprofit group that represents the interests of residential utility customers in Michigan.
Review the 2023 Utility Performance Report
Since taking office, AG Nessel has helped save utility customers over $3.4 billion.
On the right you will see a year-by-year breakdown of these savings.
And check out the press releases below for a few case-specific highlights.
Attorney General Nessel wants to make sure utility service is affordable. Rates for electric and natural gas utilities owned by investors are generally determined by the MPSC in rate cases. AG Nessel frequently intervenes in rate cases to protect utility customers. Below is a list of current rate cases that she is currently involved in.
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Docket |
Company |
Service |
Press Release |
|
Consumers Energy |
Electric |
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|
Consumers Energy |
Natural Gas |
||
|
DTE |
Electric |
||
|
DTE |
Natural Gas |
||
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Northern States Power Company |
Electric |
Table updated December 16, 2024.
You can make a public comment on a current rate case by clicking the docket number above. At the top of the docket, click “Submit Comment.” The MPSC also provides screenshot instructions for filing a comment (PDF). You can also comment at a MPSC meeting. The MPSC's meeting dates can be found on its online calendar. You can attend a meeting via phone, computer, or in-person.
AG Nessel is often involved in other MPSC cases as well. Some of these cases involve resource planning, natural gas and electric supply, and energy waste reduction. AG Nessel’s team is also regularly involved in workgroups, subcommittees, and consumer advocacy groups. These include the National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates (NASUCA), the MPSC’s Low-Income Workgroup, and the MPSC’s Energy Waste Reduction Workforce Subcommittee – just to name a few.
When you are doing home improvement projects or major yard work that involves digging outside, remember to contact MISS DIG before you start your work. MISS DIG will come out and place flags of where your public utility lines are located. There is no cost to place a MISS DIG request. Your request must be placed at least 3 business days in advance. You can contact MISS DIG by calling 811 or submitting an online request.
First, contact your utility company to see if they can provide information about your question or concern. If you are not satisfied, you can file a complaint with the MPSC.
Check out the MPSC’s Assistance Information page for resources.
Yes! Check out the MPSC’s Service Protections Section on the Assistance Information page for more information and to see if you qualify.
The MPSC regulates electric and natural gas companies that are owned by investors. This includes their rates and services. The MPSC also oversees other aspects in the energy, phone, and cable industries. You can learn more about the MPSC on its website.
It depends on the type of utility:
Michigan has 7 electric utilities owned by investors that are rate-regulated by the MPSC. These are:
Michigan has 6 natural gas utilities owned by investors that are rate-regulated by the MPSC. These are:
The best way to voice your concerns is to submit an online comment in the applicable rate case. To do this, first find the rate case docket number. A list of current rate cases that AG Nessel is currently involved in can be found in the rate case chart above. After you have the docket number, go to the MPSC’s e-Docket system and type in the docket number to run the search. At the top of the docket, you can click “Submit Comment” to offer your remarks. The MPSC also provides screenshot instructions for filing a comment (PDF). You can also voice your concerns by attending a MPSC meeting via phone, computer, or in-person. The schedule for MPSC's meetings can be found on its online calendar.
Michigan’s Gas Customer Choice program is an optional program where customers in select service areas may purchase their natural gas from an Alternative Gas Supplier (AGS) rather than from their local utility. If you choose to purchase from an AGS, your natural gas will still be delivered by your local utility. AGS rates are not regulated by the MPSC. Additional information on the program can be found the MPSC’s Natural Gas Customer Choice page and its consumer tips (PDF). Also, check out our Consumer Alert on AGSs!
