Public Act 286 in 2008, was enacted which allows “delaying a utility from implementing its proposed rates or charges” if there is good cause for doing so.

The Michigan Public Service Commission voted 2-1 Feb. 8 to block the raise. Monica Martinez, the commissioner who voted to not block the increase, did not believe “good cause” was present in the case. The other two commissioners, Greg R. White and Chairman Orjiakor Isiogu, voted in favor of blocking the utility’s rate hike.

Consumers filed a letter to the MPSC after the decision requesting a smaller increase — $29.5 million. The parties in the rate case at MPSC have until Tuesday to reply to the letter and Consumers Energy has until March 1 to reply to that response.

“At some point, the commission could take this up again, but it is unknown when that would happen,” MPSC spokeswoman Judy Palnau said.

The case is the first time since Public Act 286′s implementation that a block has been ordered.

Many CMU students who live in apartments are relieved to hear of the rate increase block.

“Our gas bill was $175 this month, and we barely ever turn on our heat because it is so high to begin with,” Florida junior Katy Kendall said.

Saginaw sophomore Meaghan Felten has also been unhappy with her utility expenses.

“Our heating bill this year has been higher than I expected,” Felten said. “I’m glad the regulators blocked the rate raise.”

Even efforts to keep heating minimal seem hopeless to some in the long Michigan winter months.

Ann Arbor sophomore Chris Flowers said he and his roommates were surprised by expensive bills this year despite keeping their thermostat low most of the time.

“We have electric heating, and electric is the only utility we pay for, so it ranged from $9 when we first moved up to $90 last month,” Flowers said.

“We expect heating bills to be about $15 to $20 lower this year compared to last year,” said DTE Energy Spokesman Scott Simons. “That’s due to a reduction in the wholesale price and because of that reduction we’ve been able to reduce our natural gas rates by about 20 percent.”

This process is called the gas recovery factor.

Simons offered some tips to save money and be efficient.

“Make sure you’re not heating the outside, keep all windows and doors closed.” Simons said.  “For every three degrees you turn your thermostat down, you can save 3 percent on your energy bill.”

He also recommended simply dressing warmer while inside as a way to keep the thermostat set lower.

Simons said anywhere between 55 and 60 degrees is a good temperature to leave an apartment or house over a long period of time like spring break. This will prevent the pipes from freezing.

Consumers Energy is expecting to charge a $5 less from last year per bill, and $8 less from two years ago.

“We’re expecting natural gas prices should be about 3 percent lower this year than last,” said Consumers Energy spokeswoman Debra Dodd.

Dodd said the market has dropped in general and that they have very disciplined strategies.

“We can buy gas in the summer when it’s cheap and then store it in underground storage systems,” Dodd said.

These systems are naturally occurring.

The companies are not allowed to mark up the price of the gas itself.

“Whatever we buy the gas for, that’s what we sell it for,” Dodd said.

Dodd said people will pay around $148 on average for winter months, but the number varies.

“It’s going to depend on the size of the place you’re living in and how well-insulated it is, and a lot of other factors.”

Grand Rapids junior Audrey Johnson is coping with the high gas prices. She said her residence has poorly circulating electrical heat and one of her bills was already over $200.

Johnson and her roommates tried not to turn on the heat until November.

“We keep it kind of low, not where your hands or feet are freezing, but we found a happy medium.”

“Right now there’s about 3,600 customers in the area without power,” said a Consumers Energy Representative. “With storms like this, just to see what has gone through the area, it’s not unusual at all.”

Local Consumers Energy crews have been dispatched to replace downed lines.

Residents are reminded to report downed power lines to Consumers Energy at 1-800-477-5050.

The township is promoting energy efficiency and sustainability by raising wind turbines south of the township hall building, 2010 S. Lincoln Road.

Two of the turbines were raised Wednesday afternoon by Wind Wire of South Bend, Ind. The third and final turbine will be installed by Block Electric Co. of Weidman later this month.

“We’re trying to work toward more sustainable systems wherever we can,” said Tom Rohrer, director of the Great Lakes Institute for Sustainable Systems and assistant professor of environmental studies. “We’re trying to evaluate whether or not there are sufficient winds in the Mount Pleasant area to make these turbines worthwhile. It’s a research project to determine if that’s true.”

He said the funding for this project was given to Union Township as a part of a $67,865 grant from the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth.

Township Zoning Administrator Woody Woodruff said the total cost of the wind turbines is $47,738.

The remainder of the grant will go toward other projects to lower the energy usage and improve the township’s sustainability.

Over time, the turbines will pay for themselves, Woodruff said. He does not know how much money the wind turbines will save in the long run, though he is hopes for a $5,000 to $6,000 a year reduction.

“When the wind is producing a lot of energy, that gets tapped into first before we tap into the Consumers (Energy) utility side,” he said. “It reduces the (electric) consumption of Union Township.”

Rohrer said the wind turbines are part of an ongoing project between CMU and Union Township.

Two different types of wind towers are a part of the project. Two Skystreams have been installed and one WindSpire will be installed at the same location.

Skystreams, Rohrer said, are horizontal access wind turbines resembling small-scale commercial turbines. The Windspire that will be installed at the end of October is a vertical access turbine better suited for low-wind and residential areas.

Associate Physics Professor Fred Phelps said the location selected for placement of the turbines should prove to be ideal.

“They’re not very tall so they don’t need a lot of clear air around them,” he said.

The cold weather in central Michigan won’t harm the performance of the turbines, Phelps said. Colder air has a higher density, which leads to better power generation for wind turbines.

Phelps thinks the long term outlook for the turbines will be positive for Union Township.

“They generate electric energy, which we all need, and the fuel is free,” he said. “It’s a lot less expensive as far as fuel goes and there’s no pollution.”

The original budget allocated $30,000 toward renovating and updating the appearance and functionality of the Union Township Hall meeting room. The board decided the sum could be cut to $10,000.

Some of the suggested aesthetic improvements included window coverings and a new paint job for the room, as well as possibly installing curtains or drapes along the walls.

Township Supervisor John Barker suggested the installation of an amplification system, depending on cost, to increase the volume of meetings for attendants.

“It’s difficult for people in the back of the room to hear what we do,” he said.

Trustee Tim Lannen said the decision on whether or not to invest in the sound amplification system could be made after other methods of improving the acoustics of the room had been implemented. These include changes to the insulation material and lighting.

Township Manager Brian Smith agreed.

“I’d like to try other things first before we invest money in a sound system,” he said. “I think we could find some relatively inexpensive fixes that could go a long way.”

Another idea to save money was to give salaries a zero percent increase and assume a 10 percent increase in hospitalization.

Funds for office supplies were also cut from $200 to $150 for the year.

“It appears to be a well thought out plan,” Trustee Phil Mikus said.

Another cost saving measure taken by the board was the approval of an agreement with Volunteer Energy Services, Inc. for gas for heating.

The contract is estimated to save Union Township $500 each year.

As part of an agreement between Union Township and Volunteer Energy, Union Township will be purchasing gas through the second party supplier, but still using Consumer Energy’s lines to distribute.

“If, in fact, it does save the township money, it’s a terrific move,” Lannen said.

Smith said the decision to purchase from Volunteer Energy is an agreement and not a contract.

The switch will not result in a change of service or related inconveniences. Bills would still be paid monthly and one check would still be used to make that payment.

A review at the conclusion of October 2011 will conclude wither or not the savings is worth continuing service from Volunteer Energy.

“I think we need to monitor this closely and make sure we’re actually going to save that money,” Barker said.

Despite the increase, Consumers Energy customers should have a lower bill than this time last year. The lower prices are because of a 10 percent drop in the price of natural gas, said spokeswoman Mary Gust.

Gust said this year’s average bill is $94, down from last year’s average of $97.

Students who live in Lexington Ridge Apartments and Copper Beech Townhomes will be primarily affected by the raised prices.

“So, with the rate increase, we believe that the typical residential customer will see a $2.50 drop in their overall bill, even with the rate increase,” Gust said.

Consumers also has 14 storage fields, where they can buy an excess of gas while it is cheap and store it underground until it is distributed to customers.

What does it cover?

The price increase will help cover things such as pipeline maintenance, strengthened security and numerous investments Consumers Energy has made.

The new prices go into effect after the six month waiting period required by the Michigan Public Safety Commission. The initial request for raising prices was made last May.

Dexter sophomore Patrick Sinnott said the price increase is not necessary at this point in time.

“I guess I’d be annoyed, especially considering the economic situation America’s in right now,” Sinnott said.

While Sinnott was unhappy with the price raise, other students disagreed.

Clarkston junior Nik Rogers thinks the price fluctuation is common, and Consumers is trying to not to have its prices depend on a fluctuating market such as natural gas. He said the true worth will be figured out over time.

“I guess it’s good for transition, from an economic standpoint,” Rogers said. “It’s all right with me. It’s probably pretty common for companies to jack prices up.”

Gust said the price raise is fair even in today’s economy because of lower natural gas prices.

“The good news is we are fortunate that the gas prices are much softer than last year,” she said. “We do work really hard to keep prices down.”

The Mount Pleasant Police Department received a complaint yesterday from WestPoint Village, 2222 S. Crawford Road., stating four to five males wearing red polo shirts were going door-to-door asking residents for personal information.

The imposters were also spotted in West Campus Village, 1110 W. Campus Drive.

“They were trying to get personal information like drivers’ license numbers, date of birth, social security numbers,” said MPPD Public Information Officer Dave Sabuda. “All the things to commit fraudulent activity, like identity theft.”

The imposters were wearing red shirts with what appeared to be a Consumers Energy logo on it, Sabuda said. The scheme did not work on any residents who filed complaints with the MPPD.

“Sometimes there’ll be an individual who doesn’t know they’ve been schemed, and don’t find out until later,” Sabuda said.

The fake employees could also distract the owner of the home with questions while their partners search the house for money and other things to steal.

“In some cases, it’s pretty obvious they have inside information,” said Consumers Energy Spokesman Terry DeDoes. “Some cases, they’re just playing the numbers game.”

All Consumers Energy employees are required to have photo identification and will provide it if asked. If residents are suspicious of the employees or have not requested any work, residents should not allow them in. Residents should also never pay for work they have not requested.

“We do not solicit door to door for any of our programs,” said Consumers Energy Spokeswoman Mary Gust.

Any suspicious activity should be reported to the MPPD at 779-5100. To verify the identity of a Consumers Energy employee, call 800-477-5050.

A vehicle struck a pole on Federal Road in Shepherd around 2:26 p.m. and left customers without power for approximately 45 minutes, said Consumers Energy spokeswoman Mary Gust.

Mount Pleasant’s east side was affected and several apartment complexes, including South Point Apartments, Jamestown Apartments, Canterbury Apartments and Yorkshire Apartments lost power.

Check cm-life.com for more updates.

Consumers Energy is starting a new program to recycle “beer fridges.” Although they are not currently picking up refrigerators in Mount Pleasant, they will start by early next year.

Customers can find information on the Web site consumersenergy.com and will be contacted once the pickup starts locally, said Terri Mierzwa, Consumers Energy manager of marketing, energy efficiency and research.

The company is making it possible for customers to save money on energy-efficient appliances and light bulbs.

An extra fridge can cost up to $170 in energy bills annually, and 95 percent of the refrigerator’s parts are recyclable, Mierzwa said.

“That’s an energy hog just sitting there,” he said.

Public Act 295, approved into law last October, requires energy utilities to meet energy reduction requirements, Mierzwa said.

Customers can recycle their old refrigerators and receive a $30 rebate, Mierzwa said. Consumers Energy has taken about 500 calls since the program’s launch in late July and has picked up about 250 fridges. The refrigerator must work to be accepted.

It ‘just makes sense’

Consumers Energy has paired with retailers so customers of the electric company also can receive cheaper compact fluorescent bulbs, which use 75 percent less energy and can last up to 10,000 hours, Mierzwa said.

The light bulb’s price will be discounted at participating retailers in Consumer Energy’s electric service territories.

“We think energy efficiency just makes sense,” Mierzwa said.

Participating retailers are Meijer, Home Depot, ACO Hardware, CostCo and Menards, and the discount program will be in place until the end of this year. Mierzwa said Consumers Energy is not sure what will happen to the discount program in 2010.

Phi Kappa Tau president and Midland senior Chris Dutot said the extra refrigerator in their house makes sense because of the number of people who live there. But he said he would be interested in compact fluorescent light bulbs.

“The long-term investment would be worth it if the light bulbs use less (energy) and last longer,” he said. “It would be worth it in the end.”

Consumers Energy also offers incentives for purchasing energy efficient appliances such as washers and dryers, Mierzwa said. The company works with apartment owners who would like to make their rentals more efficient, he said.

“It’s a great time if someone’s in the market for high efficiency,” he said.

For more information on energy savings programs, visit consumersenergy.com.

“We have full information there on (all) programs,” Mierzwa said.

The programs are funded by a customer surcharge for electric and natural gas services. The surcharge is 72 cents a month for electric services and $1.70 a month for natural gas services, Mierzwa said.