By KEVIN WALKER

Michigan Correspondent

LANSING, Mich. — Michigan officials have completed and approved an update to the state’s service utility rules that are designed to benefit farmers and other businesses.

The Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) green-lighted updated Consumer Standards and Billing Practices, also known as billing rules, for utility customers, designed to strengthen protections for users of electricity and gas.

“They did expand the definition of a non-residential small business, so more businesses, including farms, will be covered under this new expanded definition,” explained Judy Palnau, a spokeswoman for the Michigan Agency for Energy (MAE), created by order of Gov. Rick Snyder in 2015. “You can be a larger user and still qualify to be in this expanded category.”

The changes noted here, including the expanded definition of “non-residential customer,” were part of a larger overhaul generally done every seven years or so, Palnau said.

The changes also include new protections for “critical care” customers, she added. These are non-business customers. According to the MAE, this new critical care shutoff protection provision is believed to be the only one of its kind in the country.

The definition of a small non-residential customer has been expanded to include those who annually use less than 300 million cubic feet of natural gas or fewer than 30,000 kilowatt hours of electricity. Small non-residential customers will now be able to enter into payment plans and are granted the right to have a customer hearing before a utility hearing officer.

Other new protections for these customers include a smaller deposit limit for utility services in cases where a deposit is required, protection from having to pay a deposit during the heating season, the ability to consolidate accounts if necessary and an extended length of time to pay an estimated utility bill.

A critical care customer is defined as requiring home medical equipment or a life support system, and for whom an interruption of service would be immediately life-threatening. To get certified, complete an MPSC approved Medical Certification Form. The form must be signed by a doctor or public health official.

The customer must submit the completed form to the relevant utility for review, to ensure that gas or electric service will not be interrupted due to nonpayment. An approved critical care customer may not have his service disconnected remotely. A certification form is available on utility companies’ webpages.

The regulated companies are Consumers Energy and DTE Energy.

The billing rules rewrite process began in 2014. The last time the residential regulations were updated was 2007, and those for non-residential customers, in 2008.

“These improved rules provide critical protections for Michigan’s residents, especially the most vulnerable who are dealing with extremely serious health issues,” said MPSC Chair Sally Talberg, on Nov. 21. “The rules also strengthen practices to shield utility customers from identity theft, which is extremely important, as so much of our routine transactions are conducted online.”

The MPSC has the ability to fine a regulated utility that is derelict in its duties. Customers with questions about the new billing rules or who want to file a complaint against a utility should call the MPSC’s customer assistance line at 800-292-9555.