Consumers Energy & DTE Energy customers to get refund

(WXYZ) - DTE Energy and Consumers Energy customers will split a $56.3 million refund.

Tuesday, the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) authorized DTE Energy and Consumers Energy to refund the amount that was collected for the now-defunct Low-Income and Energy Efficiency Fund (LIEEF).

Utility customers had been paying into the fund for months, but in 2011, the Michigan Court of Appeals ruled that the MPSC does not have the power to run the fund, and LIEEF was terminated.

DTE Energy will refund its 2.1 million electric customers about $27 million, which will break down to about $12.85 for each customer. DTE Energy gas customers will also receive a slice of the refund.

Consumers Energy will refund its 6.5 million gas and electric customers about $25 million, which will break down to about $3.85 per customer.

The companies have not said how or when the refunds will be issued, but in similar cases, the refunds have been issued as a credit on a future utility bill.