Public utilities: consumer services; automatic enrollment in winter protection program; provide for. Amends secs. 9o & 10t of 1939 PA 3 (MCL 460.9o & 460.10t) & adds sec. 9x.

HB 5047 requires utility providers (including municipal, cooperative, and private electric/gas companies) to automatically enroll eligible customers in winter protection programs. Specifically, it mandates automatic enrollment of senior citizens (65+ or 62+ as of October 2023) starting November 1, 2025, and households with children under 16 starting September 1, 2025. Providers must identify eligible customers using methods like phone calls, mail, or bill inserts, and provide detailed program information via bill inserts 2 months before enrollment. Annual reports on enrollment numbers must be submitted to providers’ governing bodies by April 28 each year, beginning in 2026. The bill amends Michigan’s public utilities code (MCL 460.9o, 460.10t, and adds 460.9x) to implement these requirements.