Consumers Energy

Consumers Energy, Cub Scouts Build Osprey Nesting Platforms

... an effort to give the birds a safer place to nest away from power lines. On Saturday, crews installed a 65-foot utility pole in Big Rapids that had an osprey nesting platform constructed by the Cub Scouts. The utility pole was donated by Consumers Energy. Several of the Scouts were on site Saturday for the installation. The Cub Scouts from mid-Michigan, including nephews of a Consumers Energy employee working on the project, constructed several platforms that will be used around the state. “At Consumers Energy, we like to say ‘we’re leaving it better than we found it,’ ” said Mary Palkovich, vice president of energy delivery. “This project is a perfect example on several fronts: We’re upgrading our customer’s electric reliability in a growing area while enhancing nesting habitat for ospreys. I’m also proud of our volunteer involvement with the Cub Scouts to make this all possible.”. The Cub Scouts made the three foot square cedar platforms plus a perch for ospreys which have nested on a pole that supported electric lines in the Big Rapids area. The new platform is about 100 feet away from the current location on Michigan Department of ...

Electricity Rate Hike Coming For Consumers Energy Customers

... that will generate an extra $113 million per year for the power company. Spokesman Brian Wheeler says the money will go to making their service more reliable. “You’ll be seeing Consumers Energy crews clearing away trees and limbs from power lines, you’ll be seeing us make replacements and upgrades so we can make sure people have power when they need it,” Wheeler said. At first, customers can expect a refund and lower rates for February. In the fall, the government allowed Consumers to start over-billing people while they worked through a deal. Now that it’s settled, you could see some of that money coming back. “It will be spread out across 1.8 million customers. For a typical household, it will probably be perhaps in the single digits of dollars,” Wheeler said. The rate increase will start next week. Consumers says it will be an increase of 2.8 percent. But right now it’s too early to tell how that translates into dollars and cents. “It will really vary from household to household and business to business, because everyone has a different energy use profile,” Wheeler said. If you’re ...

Energy-saving, Bill-shaving Programs Rolled Out By Consumers Energy

... homes near their central air conditioner. On hot days, Consumers cycles the air conditioner in short bursts while leaving the unit's fan running. Customers in this program receive a $25 gift card, bill credits and reduced electricity rates. Customers must have a smart meter to utilize this. Peak Rewards Time of Use: This program emphasizes using energy during non-peak energy hours - which are typically 2 to 6 p.m. The less energy is used during peak hours, the lower the energy rates will drop for the customer. Critical Peak Time of Use: Customers receive even lower energy rates on this program when minimizing usage during peak hours. This is more risky, however, as energy rates jump eight times higher than the previous program during peak hours. Customers can sign up and learn more about the programs at ...

New Consumers Energy Plans Could Save You Big Bucks

... of us have programmable thermostats,” said Morgenstern. “You could program between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. turn your thermostat up from 70-75 degrees.”. The third option, the Air Conditioning Peak Cycling Plan gives you a $25 gift card for signing up. A switch is installed on your air conditioner. On peak days at peak times, Consumers Energy switches off the AC compressor. Customers won’t be able to turn on their AC for a few hours. “The air will still cycle inside the home, but it won’t be cool air. It could be up to four hours — not a big amount of time,” said Morgenstern. This plan allows customers to opt out, one day during the summer without getting penalized. “Let’s say you’re having a big party at your house and you don’t want that. You can call Consumers Energy and opt out of it for that day,” explained Morgenstern. The estimated savings for each plan is still being calculated, but the more power you save the more money you ...

Consumers Energy Launches New Program To Help Lower Utility Bill

... their comfort level. Customers who participate in the program will receive a gift card for signing up and a credit on their energy bill during the summer months of June through September. * Peak Rewards Time of Use – Customers pay a lower rate during off-peak hours every day and can save even more on the days when energy use is expected to be extremely high – typically on the hottest days of summer. These are called Energy Savings Days. If customers use less energy than they typically do during those peak hours on these days, they will receive a bill credit. There is no penalty if they do not use less energy - they simply pay the standard rate for the energy used during those hours. * Critical Peak Time of Use – For customers who want to maximize their savings, this option allows them to enjoy even lower rates throughout the year, with higher rates only for energy used during peak demand times on Energy Savings Days. Customers that keep energy use low during peak demand on these select days will receive the greatest savings. “We are committed to helping Michigan households manage their energy use. These new programs ...

Winds Cause Lenawee Road Blockage, Power Outages

... more than 210,000 utility customers were without power Wednesday, including 140,000 Consumers Energy customers, and 90,000 DTE Energy customers. Outages were expected to continue into Wednesday evening. Around Adrian, utility and emergency crews were busy getting calls to trees blocking numerous streets including Greenly and Bradish. In these same areas, utility poles were down as well leading to power outages. Two utility poles across from Maple Stadium on Division Street were also damaged. Adrian city officials announced that a special, one-time pickup of yard debris will be made on each street Monday, March 13. There were similar wind-damage situations around the county. Numerous reports of downed trees and power lines in Blissfield, Tecumseh, Addison and Hudson were reported. Most of Blissfield was reported without power around 2 p.m., and Hudson Area Schools let students out of school early due to outages there. Matthews Highway between M-50 and Munger Road was ...

Cadillacnews.com

... lobbying may have helped Turkey. WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's former national security adviser, Michael Flynn, who was fired from his prominent White House job last month, has registered as a foreign agent with the Justice Department for $53. Will Wiki Leaks work with tech firms to defend CIA hacking. WASHINGTON (AP) — The anti-secrecy group Wiki Leaks raised the prospect Wednesday of sharing sensitive details it uncovered about CIA hacking tools with leading technology companies whose flagship products and services were. AP FACT CHECK: How Trump's Keystone XL story fell apart. WASHINGTON (AP) — Twice in the last month, President Donald Trump has told a story about how he'd come up with an idea to require the use of U. S.-made steel and pipes while preparing to sign orders to advance ...

Community Meeting To Detail Flint River Contamination Cleanup Project

... factory. The project is pending approval from the Department of Environmental Quality, according to Kevin Keane, area manager for Consumers Energy. "Those areas this summer will be dredged to remove the by-products of the manufactured gas operation from almost 100 years ago that entered the river by underground migration and erosion. After the dredging is complete, the river bottom will be capped to protect it from high water impact and the banks will be replanted with native species," Keane said. Work is slated to begin by the end of May and should wrap up in August or September, Keane said. The public meeting, scheduled for 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, March 9, in the Ramsdell Community Room of the Flint Farmers' Market, is open to anyone interested in learning more about the project. "It's more of an advisory. There will be some odors associated with the dredging materials. We just want to be transparent with the public and let them know what is coming and what can be ...

Muskegon Man Refuses To Pay For Installation Of Consumer's Energy Smart Meter

... Driscoll says his current meter is in an odd place. Several years ago, it was installed in the corner of his house and it’s not enough space for a new smart meter. "We bought the house 23 years ago. I haven't moved it.". The house used to be masonry brick and 10 years ago tony says he had a contractor put siding on it for better insulation. Consumers Energy says the meter is in an unsafe location. Driscoll says the meter-readers never had a problem until recently. Consumers Energy started installing smart meters in 2012. The device allows Consumers to read meters remotely. "They want to eliminate a meter reader position, which makes them more profitable. I understand that, but I shouldn't have to bare that brunt," Driscoll says. Drsicoll says he can either get a smart meter or opt-out - meaning he would pay an initial fee of $69, then $9.72 a month to pay for the meter readers to come to his house. Right now, there is proposed legislation that would allow residents to choose whether they want one and not be ...

Consumers Energy Recognized For Women In Leadership, Diverse Hiring Practices

... CMS Energy, also has a Board of Directors that is one-third female. These significant appointments also earned CMS Energy a spot on Ernst & Young's Top 20 utilities for gender and diversity, ranking No. 6 in the world and No. 3 in the U. S. on the Women in Power and Utilities Index. "We're committed to hiring talented co-workers with diverse backgrounds and life experiences; because an inclusive workforce ensures we have the ideas, experiences and knowledge needed to meet the unique needs of our customers today and in the future," said Cathy Hendrian, recently named Senior Vice President of Human Resources effective April 1 st. "In addition to our hiring practices, we have several employee resource groups and organizations dedicated to the advancement of women in leadership. It's an honor to be recognized for our accomplishments, but our journey has ...