Heating-Aid Propane Invoices: Michigan's Draft Manual Requires a Tank Reading

The Situation

The Michigan Public Service Commission's draft FY 2027 MEAP manual requires a tank reading on every MEAP propane invoice. Any dealer billing MEAP for a propane delivery must confirm the tank held not more than 30% of its heating fuel capacity when the driver arrived. The invoice must also show the delivery date and cost of service. The draft allows an exception for customers in an approved pilot program. Dealers should put the tank reading on every MEAP ticket this heating season.

The Facts

The Michigan Public Service Commission's draft FY 2027 MEAP manual defines 'crisis' four ways under Public Act 170: a past-due energy bill, a residential fuel tank estimated to contain not more than 30% of its heating fuel capacity, a stated need for fuel with no meter, or a prepayment balance below the minimum. An applicant doesn't have to be in crisis to qualify for MEAP. Two changes already in effect since Oct. 1, 2025, the start of FY 2026, carry into the draft: eligibility at 60% of State Median Income, and no MEAP for customers of opt-out utilities, which must instead fund a comparable energy-assistance program of their own. Per the manual, any fees on a deliverable-fuel invoice must be clearly identified, and administrative fees aren't allowed at all. For propane and fuel oil, the invoice must also carry the delivery date and cost of service. When a grantee helps with an SER co-pay, it must notify MDHHS of a payment guarantee, and MDHHS authorizes the payment only after it verifies that guarantee. Maximum SER benefits for deliverable fuel in FY 2027 remain unclear; the draft lists them as TBD.

Business Impact

What this means for your business: 1. On a co-pay stop, the SER payment isn't authorized until MDHHS verifies the guarantee your grantee sent, so check that status before the bobtail rolls. 2. Fees on a deliverable-fuel invoice must be clearly identified, and administrative fees are not allowed. 3. The 60% SMI eligibility line, in place since Oct. 1, 2025, stays in the draft. 4. Each rule applies ticket by ticket, so a quick check before the invoice reaches the grantee catches a missing field.

Key Takeaways

• Every MEAP propane invoice needs the delivery date, the cost of service and the tank-reading confirmation.
• The draft names an exception to the tank confirmation for customers in an approved pilot program.

Action Steps

1. 1.Have your delivery drivers record the tank reading on the invoice at every program stop this week.
2. 2.Have your office manager check that fees on each deliverable-fuel invoice are clearly identified and pull any administrative fee before the ticket leaves.
3. 3.On a co-pay stop, confirm your grantee has sent MDHHS the payment guarantee before you count on the SER payment.

Competitive Advantage

A dealer whose invoices clear on the first pass (fees clearly identified, no stray administrative charges) avoids the callbacks a competitor is still working.