Published: September 30, 2026 | Last verified: September 30, 2026
We did not find a Michigan residential electricity rate change taking effect on October 1, 2026. Michigan works differently from states with seasonal or auction-based default rates: DTE and Consumers Energy change their rates through rate cases decided by the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC). Both got increases earlier this year, and both have new requests pending.
Quick Summary
| Utility | Effective Date | Previous Rate | New Rate | Change | Customer Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DTE Electric | March 5, 2026 | — | — | +$242.4M/year approved (case U-21860) | Residential bills up by more than 4% (Citizens Utility Board of Michigan); about $4.23/month for an average residential customer (DTE) |
| Consumers Energy | May 1, 2026 | — | — | +$276.6M/year approved | Residential bill impact not verified |
| DTE Electric (pending) | Not yet decided | — | — | $474.3M/year requested, filed April 28, 2026 | Attorney General says 9.7% for residential customers if granted in full |
| Consumers Energy (pending) | Not yet decided | — | — | New electric case U-22070, filed June 2026 | Amount not verified |
These are total rate-case revenue increases, not per-kWh prices. Utility revenue increases are spread across customer classes, and the MPSC and utilities publish bill impacts for a typical residential customer.
What Is Changing on October 1, 2026?
Nothing that we could find. The March and May increases are already on bills. The pending requests have not been decided.
What Happened Earlier This Year
- DTE: The MPSC decided on February 19, 2026 to approve $242.4 million of the $574.1 million DTE first requested, according to Michigan Advance. The Citizens Utility Board of Michigan said new rates began March 5, 2026.
- Consumers Energy: The MPSC approved $276.6 million on March 27, 2026, effective May 1, 2026, per the Michigan Attorney General. That followed a $154 million increase the year before.
How Much Could Your Electric Bill Change?
For DTE’s approved increase, DTE’s statement put the average residential increase at $4.23 a month. We could not find an official monthly estimate for Consumers Energy’s increase, so we are not offering one. For the pending DTE case, the Attorney General says 9.7% for residential customers if the full request were approved. Rate cases are normally cut back by the MPSC, as DTE’s February case was.
Which Customers Are Affected?
Residential customers of DTE Electric (southeast Michigan, about 2.3 million electric customers per the Attorney General) and Consumers Energy (most of the rest of the Lower Peninsula). Smaller utilities, including Upper Peninsula Power Company (which has a $17.3 million request pending, per the Attorney General on September 25, 2026), have their own cases. Rate-case increases apply to delivery and related utility costs, not just supply.
What This Means for Homeowners With Solar
We did not verify Michigan’s current distributed generation program details in this pass, so we will not describe them here. Check your utility’s distributed generation tariff. A general point: rate-case increases usually push up delivery and fixed charges, and if your export credit does not rise with them, solar savings from self-consumption become more valuable than exports.
What Homeowners Should Check on Their Electric Bill
- Any fixed monthly service charge, which rate cases can change.
- Per-kWh distribution charge versus power supply charge.
- Power supply cost recovery lines, which adjust separately from rate cases.
- Effective dates of new rates (your bill may be pro-rated across two rate periods).
What Happens Next
- The MPSC will decide DTE’s $474.3M request; the Michigan Public Service Commission review typically takes many months. A decision date has not been announced in the sources we found.
- Consumers Energy’s U-22070 case is in its early stages.
- DTE has said it may pause future electric rate requests after this filing if certain data center conditions are met, per the Attorney General; that is not a commitment.
- Public comments can be filed through the MPSC e-docket.
Sources
- Michigan Attorney General, DTE $474M filing (Apr. 28, 2026): https://www.michigan.gov/ag/news/press-releases/2026/04/28/ag-nessel-to-intervene-in-dte
- Michigan Attorney General, Consumers Energy $276.6M (Mar. 27, 2026): https://www.michigan.gov/ag/news/press-releases/2026/03/27/mpsc-approves-276m-consumers-energy-rate-hike
- Michigan Advance, DTE $242.2M approval (Feb. 20, 2026): https://michiganadvance.com/2026/02/19/mpsc-approves-242-2-million-rate-increase-for-dte-customers/
- Citizens Utility Board of Michigan (Mar. 31, 2026): https://cubofmichigan.org/blog/mpsc-authorizes-dte-rate-hike-inflation/
- BridgeDetroit guide to pending cases (July 10, 2026): https://www.bridgedetroit.com/guide-how-michigans-process-for-setting-dte-consumers-rates-factors-into-midterms/