If you’re a Consumers Energy customer — and more than 6.6 million Michigan residents are — you have a choice for your natural gas supply. The Michigan Natural Gas Customer Choice program lets you choose your gas supply company. Or you can continue to get your supply from Consumers Energy.
Either way, your gas supply continues to be reliably delivered by Consumers Energy, one of the country’s largest gas distribution companies. Below, we’ll talk about customer choice, and the utility’s customer programs.
Natural Gas Customer Choice – Alternatives to Consumers Energy
Thanks to deregulation, you have a choice in natural gas suppliers if your gas utility is Consumers Energy.
As a utility company, Consumers Energy has rates that are approved by the Michigan Public Service Commission. These rates change periodically based on the wholesale price of natural gas.
When you choose an alternative gas supplier in Michigan, you can lock in a fixed rate for your natural gas. That helps you budget and can save you money versus the utility rate.
Michigan Natural Gas Rates in Consumers Energy Area
| Plan Name | Term | Rate per MCF |
|---|---|---|
| XOOM Energy SureLock 12 | 12 | $ 4.19 |
| XOOM Energy SureLock 24 | 24 | $ 4.475 |
| Direct Energy Live Brighter! 11 | 11 | $ 4.79 |
| Direct Energy Live Brighter! 12 | 12 | $ 4.79 |
| XOOM Energy RescueLock 12 | 12 | $ 4.795 |
Shop Natural Gas Supply Rates in Michigan (Consumers Energy)
Default Utility Rates for Consumers Energy Gas
Consumers Energy customers that choose to stay with the utility for their natural gas aren’t just choosing a price or a rate plan.
They’re also making a choice for a company philosophy of trust and service. Plus they have a corporate approach that depends on choice and flexibility.
Your default utility gas rate that you pay with Consumers Energy changes every month based on the Gas Cost Recovery fee. You can find a history of their gas rate changes online.
Consumers Energy – Energy Saving Programs
Consumers Energy wants to help customers save on their natural gas bill. Which in Michigan, can get quite high with the cold winters!
Consumers Energy customers receive discounted prices on programmable thermostats from Google Nest, Ecobee or Honeywell Home. Or purchase discount LED light bulbs to save on your Consumers Energy electricity bill. You can even get a discount on air filters for your HVAC system, and air purifiers for your home.
Best of all? You can participate in these programs whether you use a natural gas supplier or have Consumers Energy supply your gas.
Giving Back to the Communities
Consumers Energy volunteers excel at giving back to the communities in which they live and work.
All together, they volunteer at over 100 different community non-profit organizations each year, including:
- Walks for Warmth, in which hundreds of Consumers Energy employees raise money to help keep needy families warm in the winter. In 2016 alone, volunteers raised almost $200,000 for this program.
- PeopleCare, a short-term emergency program that’s a joint venture between Consumers Energy and the Salvation Army. This program helps families in all sorts of financial emergencies, from death and homelessness to job loss and disability.
- Caring for Community grants and volunteers to help with green initiatives in neighborhoods
