2021
In 2020, DTE Energy, a Detroit-based diversified energy company providing utility services to 2.2 million electric customers and 1.3 million gas customers, identified a need to further support the limited income community in Detroit and across the State of Michigan. DTE established aggressive budget, savings and participation goals for the Energy Efficiency Assistance (EEA) program. Meeting these goals provided income-qualified customers with high efficiency equipment, weatherization services and direct install measures, delivered through more than 30 community action, nonprofit and government agencies.
Teaming up with partners SEEL and ICF, DTE optimized outreach for the EEA program in 2020 by targeting customers enrolled in DTE billing assistance programs, providing funding for health and safety work to reduce project walkaways, partnering with local government agencies and nonprofits to amplify program impact, and leveraging food banks for LED distributions in impoverished communities. DTE invested more than $14 million in incentives to support single family, limited-income customers across gas and electric territory through the efforts of the partnering agencies. This resulted in more than 5,000 customer applications processed in 2020, yielding over 50,000 MCF and 7,000 MWH in annual energy savings.
With the economic hardships felt by so many Michiganders during the pandemic this past year, DTE doubled down on its commitment to serve its most vulnerable customers with safe, reliable and affordable energy, when the need for assistance is greater than ever.