LIHEAP Michigan 2026-27: SER, MEAP and Heating Credit

Applying is free for all of these. None of them is a "grant" that arrives by text or social media. ACF's LIHEAP page (opens in a new tab) says LIHEAP doesn't provide direct grants to individuals and doesn't charge a fee for a benefit.

Michigan's 4 Energy Help Programs at a Glance

Michigan has 4 main routes for help with heat and electric bills, run by 3 different state agencies plus your utility. Here's how they compare for the 2026-27 season, from the MPSC's assistance page (opens in a new tab), the MDHHS FY2027 SER flyer and Treasury's Home Heating Credit FAQ:

The common mistake: stopping after one program. A household can file the Home Heating Credit, get an SER payment for a shutoff notice, enroll in a MEAP payment plan and sign up for the Winter Protection Plan in the same season. The MDHHS flyer specifically encourages anyone who has used their single SER payment to call 2-1-1 for MEAP.

Michigan Energy Assistance Income Limits

Michigan uses 3 different income lines, one per program. The MPSC publishes them side by side on its assistance page, labeled "Income Guidelines (2025-2026)":

Two notes on dates. The 110% and 150% columns use the 2025 federal poverty guidelines. The FY2027 MEAP Manual says the poverty guidelines HHS published January 15, 2026 are for mandatory use in FY2027, and at 150% those are $23,940 for one person and $49,500 for four, so SER's line for 2026-27 is slightly higher than the table shows. The MPSC hadn't posted an FY2027 version of its 60% state median income column as of October 28, 2026; if you're near the line, ask the MEAP grantee or 2-1-1 for the current figure.

Specifically, here's how the lines play out for a family of four with $55,000 in income: that's over SER's $49,500 line and over the Home Heating Credit's Table A ceiling, but under MEAP's $70,225 line. That family's route is MEAP through 2-1-1, not MI Bridges. A family of four at $30,000 is under every line and can use all four programs, as long as its electric utility participates in MEAP.

State Emergency Relief (SER) Energy Services Through MI Bridges

SER is MDHHS's emergency program, and for FY2027 it caps energy help at $600 or $900 depending on fuel. According to MDHHS's FY2027 SER flyer (opens in a new tab), MDHHS will "continue with the one payment for energy-related services" beginning October 1, 2026:

The minimum payment is whatever it takes to resolve the emergency, and amounts over the cap need an exception from the LIHEAP program office, per the MEAP Manual. Michigan's proposed FY2027 LIHEAP plan sets a 48-hour standard to resolve an energy crisis after a complete application, or 18 hours for a life-threatening one. It defines "life-threatening" narrowly: you aren't covered by the Winter Protection Plan, your heat source is off or your furnace is out, restoration is medically necessary, and you have nowhere else to stay.

How to apply: apply online at MI Bridges (opens in a new tab). The MPSC says that if you need help, MI Bridges has a community partner finder. The proposed plan adds that SER applications can be mailed, faxed or hand-delivered to any MDHHS office, and that MEAP grantees act as navigation partners who help with the online application.

After your one payment: a second SER request for the same fuel is denied. The MEAP Manual says that at denial, households are referred to a MEAP grantee through 2-1-1 or MI Bridges. If a payment above the cap would resolve the shutoff, a MEAP grantee can cover the co-payment so SER can release its share.

Energy Direct: the proposed plan also describes Energy Direct, which pays utilities directly for some households on TANF, SSI or SNAP who are in critical care, have a medical need or carry large balances, with payments up to $8,000 depending on balances and funding. There's no application; MDHHS and participating utilities identify households.

The Michigan Energy Assistance Program (MEAP)

MEAP is the larger, newer piece, and it's funded mostly by Michigan electric customers rather than Washington. According to the MPSC's February 19, 2026 release (opens in a new tab), 2024 laws raised MEAP's income limit from 150% of poverty to 60% of state median income and lifted the old $50 million cap on the Low-Income Energy Assistance Fund (LIEAF). The MPSC says that could eventually serve as many as 150,000 households a year, up from an average of 50,000, and that 56,018 households got MEAP help in 2025.

For 2026-27, the MPSC adopted a funding factor of $1.50 per meter per month, starting with September 2026 bills. The MPSC's July 22, 2026 grants synopsis recommended $88 million in LIEAF money plus $5 million in federal LIHEAP funds to 9 grantees for October 1, 2026 to September 30, 2027, pending State Administrative Board approval.

Source: MPSC FY27 MEAP Grants Synopsis (July 22, 2026); phone numbers from the MPSC's assistance page as of October 28, 2026. The Bureau of Community Action's site links to the community action agency in each county.

You don't need to pick a grantee. The MPSC says to "reach out to 2-1-1 to be connected with a MEAP provider."

What MEAP offers in FY2027, per the FY2027 MEAP Manual (opens in a new tab):

• Crisis assistance with the same caps as SER: $600 for natural gas, non-heat electric, wood and pellets, and $900 for deliverable fuel, fuel oil, coal and all-electric homes. Grantees can approve exceptions up to $2,500 in combined household help to resolve a crisis.
• Affordable Payment Plans (APPs) with your utility, sized to target energy burdens of 4% of income for non-heat electricity, 2% for heating fuel, and 6% for combined gas and electric or all-electric homes.
• A Home Energy Security Allowance (HESA), an annual amount you can draw on for bills outside a payment plan.
• Referrals to weatherization and energy waste reduction programs.

Who can get MEAP:

• Income at or below 60% of state median income, or categorical eligibility through SER, the Home Heating Credit, SNAP, FIP (cash assistance), WIC, Head Start, SSI or SDA, per the MPSC's assistance page.
• No past-due notice needed. The MDHHS flyer says that for electric and natural gas, "clients can apply with current bills," with no need for a past due or shutoff notice and no need to apply for SER first. For delivered fuels, the tank must be at or below 30%.
• Your electric utility must be in the fund. The MPSC says customers of opt-out utilities aren't eligible for MEAP. The FY2027 manual's opt-out list includes Bayfield Electric Cooperative, Coldwater Board of Public Utilities, Grand Haven Board of Light & Power, Holland Board of Public Works, Lowell Light & Power, Marquette Board of Light & Power, Traverse City Light & Power, Wyandotte Department of Municipal Service, Zeeland Board of Public Works, and the cities of Harbor Springs and Wakefield. Those utilities must run a comparable program of their own.

How fast: the manual gives grantees 10 business days to decide a crisis application and 30 calendar days for payment-plan and allowance requests.

The Michigan Home Heating Credit (MI-1040CR-7)

The Home Heating Credit is Michigan's LIHEAP heating benefit, and it runs on the tax calendar with a September 30 deadline. Michigan's proposed FY2027 LIHEAP plan says heating assistance "is administered by the Department of Treasury through the Home Heating Credit Program," so you can get LIHEAP heating help without visiting an MDHHS office.

Key facts from Treasury's Home Heating Credit FAQ (opens in a new tab) and the proposed plan:

• Deadline: the claim is due September 30. The 2025 claim's deadline was September 30, 2026. Forms for tax year 2026 come out in January 2027, per the plan.
• Who can file: Michigan homeowners or renters who occupied a Michigan homestead and meet the income limits in Treasury's Tables A and B. Full-time students claimed as dependents, and people who lived all year in college housing or a licensed care facility, don't qualify.
• No tax return needed. If you don't have to file an MI-1040, submit the MI-1040CR-7 on its own.
• How it's paid: if you pay your own heating bills, state law requires Treasury to issue a State of Michigan Energy Draft you can only use for heat. DTE Energy, Consumers Energy and SEMCO Energy Gas customers may have the credit sent straight to the utility. If heat is in your rent, return the draft with your lease and Treasury may reissue it as a check; the plan says those renters' credit is reduced by 50%.

Treasury's 2025 Table A (opens in a new tab) sets these standard-credit limits:

If your heating costs are high, the alternate credit uses actual heat bills (November 1 through October 31 for the 2025 claim) and can produce a larger credit. The proposed plan explains the cap: for tax year 2025, every credit was prorated to 60% to stay within federal funding, which made the maximum $1,470. For tax year 2026, the plan estimates a maximum between $1,470 and $2,205, depending on how much federal money arrives.

Treasury lists common mistakes that delay credits: filing after September 30, leaving out income such as Social Security received for a dependent, entering monthly instead of annual amounts, and not checking box 10 when heat is included in rent. Free help is available through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, per the MPSC.

The Winter Protection Plan and Other Michigan Shutoff Rules

The Winter Protection Plan runs November 1 through March 31, and it has two tracks. The FY2027 MEAP Manual says it "protects low-income customers and senior citizens from shut off per MPSC rules and state law." According to the MPSC's assistance page (opens in a new tab):

The red flag: the winter plan isn't free heat. The 7% monthly payment is required, and the balance comes due over the spring and summer. Use SER or MEAP to pay down what you owe so the April-to-November installments are manageable.

The MPSC also says "some of these protections may not be offered by municipal electric utilities or electric co-operative utilities." If one of those serves you, ask about its own winter policy.

Utility bill credits also help year-round. The MPSC lists a Low Income Assistance Credit of $30 to $40 a month at DTE Energy, Consumers Energy, SEMCO Gas and Michigan Gas Utilities for select customers at or below 150% of poverty or on Medicaid or SNAP, a Residential Income Assistance credit at eight utilities, and a senior credit for customers 65 and older at DTE, Consumers and Michigan Gas Utilities. Call your utility: DTE at 800-477-4747, Consumers Energy at 800-477-5050, SEMCO at 800-624-2019.

Michigan LIHEAP Funding Compared With Other States

Michigan's federal LIHEAP obligations for FY2025 totaled $184,904,767 (Assistance Listing 93.568), according to USAspending.gov FY2025 data in the award search (opens in a new tab). Grantsights analysis of USAspending.gov FY2025 obligations found that works out to $18.26 per Michigan resident using the Census Bureau's 2025 population estimate of 10,127,884, compared with $11.94 per resident across the 50 states and D.C. That's about 1.5 times the national figure, 16th of 51 per resident, and the 6th-largest total of any state.

Source: USAspending.gov (opens in a new tab) FY2025 obligations for 93.568 by recipient state; Census Bureau Vintage 2025 state population estimates (July 1, 2025).

Michigan's proposed FY2027 LIHEAP plan splits federal money this way: 48% to year-round crisis help (SER), 27% to heating assistance (the Home Heating Credit), 11% to weatherization, 10% to administration and 4% to services that reduce energy needs. The state-funded MEAP sits on top: its $88 million in recommended FY2027 LIEAF awards is close to half the size of Michigan's entire FY2025 federal LIHEAP total. For weatherization, USAspending.gov (opens in a new tab) FY2025 data show $115,916,406 in DOE Weatherization Assistance obligations (81.042) to Michigan, or $11.45 per resident against $5.61 nationally, 5th of 51.

What the State's Pages Don't Tell You

The MDHHS, MPSC and Treasury pages each cover their own program. Here's what falls between them:

1. There's no single "Michigan LIHEAP application." Searching for one leads people to the wrong place. LIHEAP heating money is the Home Heating Credit; LIHEAP crisis money is SER; MEAP is a separate state program that also gets $5 million in federal LIHEAP funds this year.
2. SER pays once per fuel, and the caps are firm. FY2027 caps are $600 and $900 per fiscal year with one payment for heat and one for electricity. If your shutoff amount is larger, ask a MEAP grantee to cover the difference before SER denies the request.
3. MEAP doesn't require a shutoff notice. The FY2027 MDHHS flyer says electric and gas customers can apply with a current bill. Waiting for a red notice is a common mistake.
4. Your electric utility decides your MEAP eligibility. If a city utility such as Holland, Grand Haven or Traverse City serves you, MEAP isn't available; ask that utility for its own program.
5. The Home Heating Credit was prorated to 60% for tax year 2025. Every credit was cut to 60% of the computed amount to fit federal funding, per the MDHHS plan. The plan estimates the 2026 credit may be prorated less, but that depends on federal funding.
6. The MPSC's income table is a year old. It's labeled 2025-2026. SER's 150% line rose for FY2027 with the 2026 poverty guidelines, so a family just over the old line may now qualify.
7. Winter protection requires you to apply for heating help. The low-income plan asks you to show you applied for state or federal heating assistance, so file for SER or MEAP even if you expect a small payment.

Avoid Energy Assistance Scams in Michigan

The FTC's government grant scams page (opens in a new tab) says offers of free government grants to pay personal bills are scams, and its page on scammers who pretend to be your utility company (opens in a new tab) warns about demands for immediate payment by gift card, wire, cryptocurrency or payment app.

• No one can charge you to apply. MI Bridges, 2-1-1, MEAP grantees and the MI-1040CR-7 are free. The MEAP Manual says administrative fees for processing MEAP paperwork aren't allowed and should be reported to the MPSC.
• No one can get you a bigger SER payment. The caps are set by MDHHS policy.
• Check your heating credit only through Treasury. Treasury's FAQ says to check claim status through its Individual Income Tax eService, not through a link someone sends you.
• Hang up and call back on any "utility" call demanding same-day payment, using the number on your bill.

Report scams at ReportFraud.ftc.gov (opens in a new tab), and LIHEAP fraud to the HHS fraud hotline at 1-800-447-8477. Complaints about a regulated utility go to the MPSC at 800-292-9555.

Other Help for Michigan Households

• Weatherization: see our home repair and weatherization grants guide; MEAP grantees must refer you to weatherization or energy waste reduction programs.
• Food and cash: our SNAP guide and SSI guide; SNAP and SSI also make you categorically eligible for MEAP.
• Phone and internet: the MPSC lists Michigan and federal Lifeline discounts; see our Lifeline guide.
• Older adults: our help for seniors guide.
• Veterans: the MPSC lists the Michigan Veterans Trust Fund Emergency Grant Program for veterans and families facing a financial emergency, including energy needs.
• Neighboring states: HEAP in Ohio and LIHEAP in Illinois.

Michiganders who need more than heating help can use Grantsights' free eligibility checker. It asks who you are first; choose "Individual" and then "Personal financial help" (or "Student"), and it doesn't list grants. It points to official routes: the USA.gov benefit finder, rental help, help with bills, food help and studentaid.gov, and the 211 line. That fits Michigan, where 2-1-1 is also the front door to MEAP.

FAQ: Michigan Energy Assistance Questions

How does LIHEAP work in Michigan?

Federal LIHEAP money reaches Michigan households through SER (MDHHS), the Home Heating Credit (Treasury) and a federal share of MEAP (MPSC). There's no single LIHEAP application.

How much does SER pay for energy in 2026-27?

Up to $600 for gas, electric, wood or pellets, and $900 for propane, fuel oil, coal or all-electric homes, with one heat payment and one electric payment per fiscal year.

What is MEAP and who qualifies?

MEAP is the MPSC's program run through grantees. Income at or below 60% of state median income, or enrollment in SER, HHC, SNAP, FIP, WIC, Head Start, SSI or SDA, qualifies if your electric utility participates. Call 2-1-1.

When is the Michigan Home Heating Credit deadline?

September 30 each year. Tax year 2026 forms come out in January 2027.

How much is the Michigan Home Heating Credit?

For tax year 2025 the maximum was $1,470 after proration. MDHHS estimates $1,470 to $2,205 for tax year 2026, depending on federal funding.

Can my utility shut off my heat in Michigan in winter?

Not from November 1 to March 31 if you're enrolled in the Winter Protection Plan and making the 7% monthly payments, or if you're 65 or older and your utility knows it. Some municipal and co-op utilities may not offer it.

Is a Michigan energy grant offered by text or social media real?

No. Apply through MI Bridges, 2-1-1 or Treasury. Report offers to ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

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Sources

1. MPSC: Home Energy, Telephone, and Internet Assistance Information for Customers (opens in a new tab) - program summaries, 2025-2026 income guidelines, shutoff protections, MEAP provider phone numbers, utility credits
2. MPSC: Michigan Energy Assistance Program (opens in a new tab) - LIEAF funding factor, FY2027 grants synopsis, manuals
3. FY2027 MEAP Manual, Version 2 (opens in a new tab) - SER and MEAP caps, exceptions, energy burden targets, opt-out utilities, Winter Protection Plan dates
4. MPSC FY27 MEAP Grants Synopsis (July 22, 2026) (opens in a new tab) - recommended grantees and award amounts
5. MPSC, February 19, 2026 release on the LIEAF funding factor (opens in a new tab) - eligibility change, households served
6. MDHHS: SER and LIHEAP FY2027 flyer (opens in a new tab) - FY2027 caps, single payment rule, MEAP changes
7. MDHHS: LIHEAP State Plans (opens in a new tab) - proposed FY2027 plan: allocation, crisis timelines, Home Heating Credit maximums, Energy Direct
8. Treasury: Home Heating Credit Information (opens in a new tab) and Table A (2025) (opens in a new tab)
9. ACF LIHEAP program page (opens in a new tab)
10. FTC: Government Grant Scams (opens in a new tab) and FTC: Scammers Pretend To Be Your Utility Company (opens in a new tab)
11. USAspending.gov award search (opens in a new tab) - FY2025 obligations for Assistance Listings 93.568 and 81.042