JACKSON, Mich., Jan. 25 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Conservation by customers and mild weather are offsetting high natural gas prices and helping to hold down the increase in winter heating bills, a top Consumers Energy executive told a legislative panel today. The utility projected last fall that a typical residential customer would see an average bill increase of $40 to $50 per month this winter. Consumers Energy now projects the average bill increase will be about half that -- roughly $25 per month -- for the five-month heating season, which runs from Nov. 1 to March 31. John Russell, the president and chief operating officer of Consumers Energy, said the updated projection shouldn't reduce the focus on conservation and providing assistance to customers in need. "High natural gas prices are here for the long term and we need to work together to help customers deal with higher bills. The best way for customers to deal with today's high natural gas prices is to conserve energy and call us if they're going to have trouble paying their bill," Russell said in testimony prepared for the House Energy and Technology Committee. In November, Consumers Energy launched its Energy Answers campaign to provide customers with information about gas pricing, energy conservation, and the assistance programs for customers who need help paying their energy bills. That campaign includes an Energy Answers section on the utility's website, http://www.consumersenergy.com/ . Russell pointed out that more assistance dollars are on the way for low- income customers. The Michigan Public Service Commission allocated $27 million for aid last month in a Consumers Energy electric rate case order. Consumers Energy has seen a sharp increase in the number of customers enrolled in the Winter Protection Plan, which provides shutoff protection for low-income and senior citizen customers. Last December, about 57,000 customers were enrolled in the plan, compared to 41,000 in December 2004. Russell said the utility's Budget Plan offers other customers another tool to manage their winter heating costs. Under the Budget Plan, a customer's estimated annual energy bill is divided into equal monthly payments. "With our Budget Plan, customers pay a certain amount each month for their energy bill. That allows them to 'average out' their bills and avoid big bills during the winter," he said. Customers will be able to enroll in the 2006-07 Budget Plan starting in the spring. Consumers Energy, the principal subsidiary of CMS Energy, provides natural gas and electricity to more than six million of Michigan's 10 million residents in all 68 Lower Peninsula counties. For more information about Consumers Energy, visit our Website at http://www.consumersenergy.com/ First Call Analyst: FCMN Contact: DATASOURCE: Consumers Energy CONTACT: Media Contacts: Jeff Holyfield, +1-517-788-2394, or Dan Bishop, +1-517-788-2395, both of Consumers Energy Web site: http://www.consumersenergy.com/ Company News On-Call: http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/203850.html

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