"Even though winter has been over for months, the Home Heating Credit is still available to help catch up from last winter or get ahead of this winter's heating bills," said Whitney Skeans, Consumers Energy's customer assistance manager. "It's important that Michigan residents are aware they can still receive help." The Home Heating Credit is based on household size and income, and is funded by the federal Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). It can be applied to all heating costs, including propane and purchased firewood, as well as natural gas and electricity. Applicants do not need to file a state tax return to receive the credit. This year, more than 79,000 Consumers Energy customers have received a credit averaging about $147 per household. Last year, 352,000 Michigan residents received more than $45 million in aid through the Home Heating Credit program. The Home Heating Credit Claim form (MI-1040CR-7) is generally available wherever other tax forms are provided. Forms can also be obtained from the Michigan Department of Treasury at (517) 636-4486, at www.michigan.gov/taxes, at Consumers Energy bill payment offices and at www.ConsumersEnergy.com/assistance. Residents statewide can qualify to receive free filing assistance through the Michigan Economic Impact Coalition's network of free tax sites. Call 2-1-1 to learn more. Consumers Energy, Michigan's largest utility, is the principal subsidiary of CMS Energy (CMS), providing natural gas and electricity to 6.6 million of the state's 10 million residents in all 68 Lower Peninsula counties. For more information about Consumers Energy, go to www.ConsumersEnergy.com. Check out Consumers Energy on Social Media https://www.facebook.com/consumersenergymichigan https://twitter.com/consumersenergy https://www.youtube.com/user/consumersenergy https://www.flickr.com/photos/consumersenergy Media toolkit HELP AVAILABLE: Learn more about programs to help Consumers Energy customers: www.ConsumersEnergy.com/assistance To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/consumers-energy-encourages-qualifying-residents-to-apply-for-michigan-home-heating-credit-300124573.html
|