Customers Can Use Consumers Energy's Budget Plan to Even Out Their Monthly Payments
April 21 2008 - 8:00AM
PR Newswire (US)
JACKSON, Mich., April 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Customers
interested in evening out their monthly natural gas and electric
bills can sign up for Consumers Energy's Budget Plan. Under the
Budget Plan, customers pay an equal amount each month for natural
gas and electricity. The monthly amount is based on past usage,
fuel costs and projected temperatures. Customers can enroll in the
Budget Plan by checking a box featured on their Consumers Energy
bills. The May bills include an insert that describes the program
in detail. Customers also can enroll on the utility's website,
http://www.consumersenergy.com/, or by calling the utility's
toll-free number, 800-477-5050 and selecting options 5, 1, 1.
Customers must have their bill payments up to date to enroll.
Eligible customers will find their monthly Budget Plan payment
amount listed on their May bills. The exact amount will vary from
customer to customer. The average residential customer will pay
about $110 per month for their natural gas service if they enroll
in the Budget Plan this month. The Budget Plan electricity payment
for an average residential customer will be about $76 a month.
Customers may enroll in the Budget Plan after May, but monthly
payments will be slightly higher because there will be fewer months
to spread out the energy costs. About 390,000 customers are
currently enrolled in the Budget Plan. "The Budget Plan is popular
because it offers customers an opportunity to manage their energy
costs by paying their annual bill in equal monthly payments. Many
of our customers like having a set amount to plug into their family
budget," said Karen Eldred, budget plan program manager. Eldred
also noted that the Budget Plan works well with a convenient No-fee
Monthly Visa online payment option. Customers who choose that
option receive their energy bill electronically via an e-mail link,
and have their bill charged automatically to their Visa card on the
day the bill is presented. Customers can enroll in this program
through Consumers Energy's website. Consumers Energy, the principal
subsidiary of CMS Energy, provides natural gas and electricity to
nearly 6.5 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/
DATASOURCE: Consumers Energy CONTACT: 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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