Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel asked the Michigan Public Service Commission (MSPC) Chair to investigate DTE Energy’s eBill program.
The eBill program automatically enrolls a customer in DTE’s paperless billing program without any affirmative consent by the customer. It could pose hardships to customers who are unaware and not monitoring email accounts for bills they are accustomed to receiving in the mail which could lead to an accumulation of late bills and fees.
“For many people who are struggling to make ends meet, adding additional costs based on a change that was made without their knowledge and consent is completely unfair and must stop,” said Nessel. “I hope that the Michigan Public Service Commission will open an investigation into this practice to ensure that ratepayers are not facing additional burdens and that they require the company to provide refunds to the customers who were negatively impacted by this practice.”
Paperless billing without consent may cause a problem for customers who had previously opted-in to paper billing and are unaware that the utility made the change.
“This practice is especially troubling as we head into the colder months,” Nessel said. “It’s essential that residents, especially seniors who are more likely to fall victim to this type of trickery, have reliable heat in their homes throughout the winter.”
Click here to read Nessel’s letter.
“DTE’s eBill Paperless Billing program has made account management easier than ever for customers, while also reducing paper waste and ultimately cutting costs for customers. In order to continue to save costs for customers, while also allowing what effectively amounts to a longer period to pay bills, DTE extends eBill trial enrollments to customers through an email campaign. Customers have told DTE they appreciate the opportunity to experience eBills on a trial basis. The trial begins and ends with emails explaining to customers they have been enrolled in the trial, with the opportunity to opt out before fully enrolled. If customers do not open either email in the trial, they will continue to receive paper bills. And as always, customers have the opportunity to opt out of the program at any time. No customer is ever required to use paperless billing. Anyone experiencing a late fee during the eBill enrollment process, or wishing to enroll or unenroll in the program, should call DTE at 800-477-4747.
We look forward to working with the attorney general to address her questions about the eBill Paperless billing program.”
Chris Lamphear, DTE Energy Manager, Corporate Communications
