Sustainable Energy Assistance

Sustainable Energy Assistance for Michigan’s Most Vulnerable

Energy assistance programs are a vital part of any smart energy policy for Michigan. Not only do they help our state’s most vulnerable households keep the power on, but they help families learn to better manage their energy use and make smarter energy decisions.

Two Sides of Energy Assistance

Energy assistance programs serve two important, but different, functions:

1. Help low-income families address the root causes of late payments and overdue accounts to become self-sufficient and avoid shut-offs long term.
2. Provide short-term solutions for households in crisis when emergencies hit, by offering one-time financial assistance for heating, fuel, energy, or home repairs.

Both approaches help Michiganders in need, but AMP believes a focus on self-sufficiency helps prevent many crises. That means we can stretch our state and federal energy assistance funds further and ultimately help even more Michiganders. That’s the power of smart energy policy.

Funding for Energy Assistance

Much of the funding for energy assistance efforts flows from the federal Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and the Michigan Energy Assistance Program (MEAP).

AMP believes lawmakers at both the state and federal level should support full funding for these critical energy assistance programs, as well as policies that direct more funding to self-sufficiency programs that reduce the overall need for assistance by helping families break negative cycles.