Power Out in Michigan? You’ll Now Get Paid More for the Hassle

There’s nothing worse than losing power, especially in the dead of winter or during a hot Michigan summer. It’s frustrating, it’s uncomfortable, and it usually drags on way longer than it should. Simply put, it sucks.

Michigan Ranked Worst in the Nation for Power Reliability

Michigan’s been ranked dead last in the country for power reliability. Yes, the absolute worst. On average, it takes about 12 hours to get the lights back on, which is more than double what surrounding states deal with.

Sorry to say, we are paying some of the highest electric rates in the Midwest. I’m sure you’re already well aware of this when you receive your brutal bill every month.

New Power Outage Credit for Michigan Customers

Because of all that, state regulators just approved a new plan to give customers more money back when the power goes out. According to Fox 2 Detroit, starting October 1, anyone who meets the outage criteria will automatically see a $42 per day credit on their bill.

Here’s how it works:

• Normal conditions: Power out for 16 hours or more.

• Gray sky conditions: 48 hours or more (affects 1–10% of customers).

• Catastrophic conditions: 96 hours or more (10%+ of customers).

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It’s a big jump from the old system, where you had to ask for a one-time $25 credit. Now it’s automatic, and the increase is supposed to give people a little relief while also forcing utilities to finally improve their service.