Lansing-area residents heating with natural gas could see lower seasonal bills this winter, but regional forecasts do not guarantee savings for individual utility customers.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration’s 2026-27 Winter Fuels Outlook projects Midwest households heating with natural gas will spend about 10% less this season than last, thanks to lower fuel prices and temperatures similar to last year. Nationally, homes heated with natural gas can expect to pay an average of $640 over the five-month heating season, November through March, down 9%.

The outlook is worse for homes heated with electricity. The EIA forecasts a 4% increase in winter electricity bills nationally, driven by a 3% rise in residential electricity prices. Midwest electric-heated homes face a projected seasonal cost of $1,380, up 3%.

“Relatively high natural gas inventories entering the winter season provide a cushion for heating demand, while households that rely on heating oil face higher prices because distillate markets remain tight,” EIA Administrator Tristan Abbey said, as reported by Quartz.

The federal projections use retail prices that include delivery costs. They are regional averages, rather than forecasts for individual Michigan utilities or households. Actual bills depend on local rates, weather and usage.

The Lansing Board of Water & Light Board of Commissioners voted 8-0 on Aug. 11 to approve a 2.1% electric rate hike for residential customers, the Lansing State Journal reported. The utility’s rate information shows an increase of $2.16 monthly for a residential customer using 500 kilowatt-hours. The new rates took effect Oct. 1. It marked the fifth consecutive year of BWL rate increases.

BWL Commission Chair David Price said the utility is working to keep pace with rising costs. “All businesses are dealing with that. Look at the economy — increases in labor costs, increases in fuel, increases in materials and poles and wire. That’s what we’re trying to manage,” Price said after the vote, according to the Lansing State Journal.

On the gas side, the Michigan Public Service Commission approved a $139.2 million rate increase for Consumers Energy natural gas customers on Oct. 15, according to its announcement. A typical residential customer using 75 hundred cubic feet monthly will see a monthly increase of $3.92, or 4.33%, according to the commission. The new rates took effect Nov. 1. Consumers Energy serves 1.8 million natural gas customers across Michigan.

For DTE Gas customers, state regulators also authorized a $74.5 million gas rate hike on Sept. 10, adding $2.87 per month for a typical residential customer using 75 hundred cubic feet monthly, according to the commission. DTE serves about 1.3 million gas customers statewide, according to the attorney general’s office. Those rates took effect Oct. 1.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel called for changes after the Consumers Energy decision. “Utility customers across the state, whether they pay their bill to Consumers Energy or DTE, ask all the time when their energy bills will stop climbing,” she said in a statement, according to her office’s announcement. “And it’s clear that the answer is never.”

Michigan runs several energy assistance programs. Here are the main options:

  • State Emergency Relief: Crisis-triggered assistance for households facing a shutoff notice or other energy emergency. Income must be at or below 150% of federal poverty guidelines, which is $1,995 per month for one person or $4,125 for a household of four, according to 2026-27 income guidance. The fiscal year cap is $600 for natural gas and $900 for deliverable fuels like propane, according to the state’s fiscal 2027 notice. Apply online through MI Bridges or in person at a local Michigan Department of Health and Human Services office.
  • Michigan Energy Assistance Program: Helps eligible low-income households pay heating bills. A 2024 law expanded eligibility to households with income at or below 60% of state median income, currently $37,372 annually for one person and $71,871 for four, according to 2026-27 income guidance. Certain public assistance recipients may be categorically eligible, and applicants must receive electricity from a participating utility, according to the commission. Households no longer need to apply for State Emergency Relief first. Contact 2-1-1 or visit the commission’s energy assistance page to find a local provider.
  • Home Heating Credit: A state tax credit filed with the Michigan Department of Treasury. The application deadline for the 2025 tax year was Sept. 30, 2026. The credit will reopen during the 2027 tax filing season early next year, according to the Michigan Treasury. The average qualifying household received $171 last year.
  • Winter Protection Plan: Michigan’s regulated utilities, including Consumers Energy, shield enrolled low-income and senior customers from shutoff during the heating season, Nov. 1 through March 31, according to state guidance. Eligible seniors are 65 and older. Low-income participants generally must have income at or below 150% of federal poverty guidelines or qualify through certain public assistance programs. They must make monthly payments based on 7% of their estimated annual bill and arrange repayment of existing arrears. The plan does not erase unpaid bills. Call your utility to enroll.

BWL offers flexible payment plans for low-income customers, military families and seniors 65 and older, according to the utility’s shutoff protection page. Customers can call BWL customer service at 517-702-6006 to set up a plan.

The utility also runs Pennies for Power, a program where participating customers round up their bills to help neighbors facing shutoff. More than 4,000 BWL customers participate, contributing nearly $50,000 a year, according to BWL.

The Tri-County Office on Aging lists additional local agencies that may provide energy bill assistance in Ingham, Eaton and Clinton counties, including Capital Area Community Services, the Salvation Army and St. Vincent de Paul, according to its energy assistance page. Funding varies by year.