When DTE comes to your home or business to do work on our equipment, we are committed to treating it like our own. While our crews work as carefully and safely as possible, there are times when damage does occur – and when this happens, we want to do our best to make it right.
DTE is responsible for damage caused by a DTE vehicle, employee or contractor, including:
- Damage to the property (interior/exterior) caused while working on the job
- Tire tracks on the lawn or landscape
If this type of damage occurs, please file a damage claim with DTE to initiate the damage claims process.
How the damage claims process works
If you believe that DTE caused damage to your property, you should start by submitting an online damage claim form. Please provide documentation including invoices, receipts and photos with your claim.
Once DTE has received this information, our Damage Claims team will investigate your claim which generally takes up to 30 days to resolve if received via online or up to 60 days if received via mail.
DTE will send you an acknowledgement letter upon receipt of your damage claim submission and will contact you with status updates.
Damage that is not eligible for reimbursem*nt
At DTE, we know that dealing with damage or loss is difficult. Before you submit a damage claim, please refer to our FAQ document to better understand eligibility.
If your claim does not meet our eligibility, we recommend you contact your homeowner’s or renter’s insurance company to determine if your loss is covered under your policy.
Here are some examples of damage/loss that DTE does not cover:
- Damages or losses resulting from storms or weather-related conditions.
- Loss or damages including hotel/lodging, food loss, damaged appliances due to voltage surges, loss of wages/revenue or tree trim debris removal expenses.
- Damages or losses due to equipment failure beyond our reasonable control.
- Damages or losses caused by a third party or animal interference.
- To learn more about DTE’s damage claims process, please visit our website at Damages & Reliability Credits | DTE Energy.
To learn more about DTE’s damage claims process, please visit our website at Damages & Reliability Credits | DTE Energy.
Damage Prevention Tips
While not all damage is preventable, there are some things you can do to prevent potential power surges during a storm or outage event. Ensuring that your electrical system is properly grounded is very important. This is why the National Electrical Code (NEC) and local building codes require that you have one or more ground rods on your property. If you have concerns about your business or home grounding, contact a licensed electrical contractor. You can also click here to learn more about ground rods.
You can also install surge protectors. These devices are an easy and cost-effective way to protect your electronic devices. While they are less effective than a properly installed and maintained grounding system, they can be helpful in preventing damage to items like televisions and computers.
Reliability Credit Process
If you experience a power outage for an extended period of time, you may be eligible for a reliability credit.
DTE provides these credits if our investigation determines you have experienced the following:
Extended outage:
- A power outage* of more than 16 hours due to an event that results in an interruption affecting 1% or less of DTE’s electric customers.
- A power outage* of more than 48 hours due to an event that results in an interruption affecting greater than 1% but less than 10% of DTE’s electric customers.
- A power outage* of more than 96 hours under catastrophic conditions. Catastrophic conditions are defined as an event that results in an official state of emergency or an event that results in an interruption of 10% or more of DTE’s electric customers.
Once your outage qualifies, you will receive an additional credit amount for every 24 hours the outage continues.
*A power outage consists of full or partial loss of service for longer than five minutes.
Frequent Outage:
- Six power outages* during a 12-month period. Once a credit has been applied, the count of outages resets to zero.
*A power outage consists of full or partial loss of service for longer than five minutes.
Your bill credit eligibility status will be determined automatically, and you will not need to submit a request.
If eligible, a credit will be posted to your account within 1-2 billing cycles or up to 90 days following your outage. For paper bills, refer to the first page of the bill under the “Summary of Charges” section, or for electronic bills refer to the “Bill Summary” section.
Please visit the Damages & Reliability Credits | DTE Energy website for more information.
FAQs
How to file a damage claim. If you believe DTE caused damage to your property, please complete and submit the enclosed damage claim form. DTE will consider each claim that is submitted. You will need to provide documentation such as invoices, receipts and photos to support your damage claim.
What is the property damage claim in Michigan? ›
With property protection, your Michigan No-Fault insurance will pay a car accident property damage claim up to $1 million for damage your vehicle causes in Michigan to other people's property, such as buildings and fences. It will also pay for damages to another person's properly parked vehicle.
How do I file a complaint against DTE Energy? ›
Use the file a complaint or compliment form to comment, and we'll reach out to you. Message us privately any day from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. via Twitter or Facebook. Call General Customer Service for Residential Customers: 800.477.4747.
What is DTE responsible for? ›
DTE Energy is responsible for repairs to the meter itself. We are also responsible for the service drop, which is the line either above ground or underground running from the utility pole to your home. You are responsible for all other additional equipment at the meter location, including the service entrance cable.
What number is 800 477 4747? ›
If you suspect you are the target of an energy scam, contact us immediately at (800) 477-4747 or sign in to your account to confirm any online activity. Do not hand out any money or provide credit card information. Anyone suspecting foul play should contact local police immediately.
What is property damage coverage? ›
What is Property Damage Coverage? If you're responsible for an accident, Property Damage Coverage will take care of the cost of repairing or replacing another person's property. This typically means damage to someone else's car, but it could apply to any other type of property you damage in an accident.
What is a liability property damage claim? ›
It helps pay to repair damage you cause to another person's vehicle or property. Property damage liability coverage is required by law in most states. It typically helps cover the cost of repairs if you are at fault for a car accident that damages another vehicle or property such as a fence or building front.
How do I file a complaint against a utility company in Michigan? ›
800-292-9555 | www.michigan.gov/mpsc
represent the utility company. You may hire a lawyer, represent yourself (excluding some businesses), or bring anyone you want to help you. The MPSC cannot provide you a lawyer or pay any legal fees.
What is the Consumer Protection Act in Michigan? ›
The Michigan Consumer Protection Act (1976 PA 331) gives consumers, prosecutors, and the Attorney General a way to fight deceptive practices. This act prohibits many unfair and deceptive trade practices and gives prosecutors more power to enforce the law.
What is the lsp program in Michigan? ›
LSP is an affordable payment plan for eligible low-income families. The LSP program is a 24-month program that requires household income and energy usage validation every year for all participating customers.
DTE has been hit with an unusual sexual harassment lawsuit involving a customer service representative who says she was taunted at work — not by a colleague or a boss, but by a customer who allegedly masturbat*d over the phone in multiple calls, told her he was naked, and asked her if she liked it.
What months can your electric not be shut off in Michigan? ›
No disconnect for all residential customers when <20° F. LIHEAP-certified customers have complete protection from Nov. 1 through March 31 regardless of temperature; utility must offer payment plan after moratorium.
What does DTE Energy include? ›
DTE Electric generates, transmits and distributes electricity to 2.3 million customers in southeastern Michigan. With an 11,084 megawatt system capacity, the company uses coal, nuclear fuel, natural gas, hydroelectric pumped storage and renewable sources to generate its electrical output.
Who is 800 255 4268? ›
Call us at 1-800-ALLIANT (800-255-4268) if you have questions about the identity of anyone representing Alliant Energy.
Why are people knocking on my door asking about my utilities bill? ›
They look at your bill and write down details about your account to be able to impersonate you more easily using your personal information. If someone comes to your door and asks for your bill, that's your first tip-off that they might be conducting a scam. Ask for ID.
How do I talk to a real person at DTE live? ›
For assistance with your online account, call a DTE Energy representative at 800.482. 8720 (option 1) Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
What is the minimum property damage coverage in Michigan? ›
FAQ: Michigan Minimum Coverage Car Insurance
In Michigan, the minimum car insurance coverage includes $50,000 for bodily injury per person, $100,000 for bodily injury per accident, and $10,000 for property damage per accident. Michigan also requires Personal Injury Protection (PIP) with unlimited coverage.
Who pays for car damage in a no-fault state in Michigan? ›
Collision and Comprehensive Insurance Your no-fault insurance DOES NOT pay for repairs to your car if it is damaged in an accident. If your car is properly parked and hit by another car, the other driver's no-fault coverage will pay for the damage to your car.
How much property damage liability do I need in Michigan? ›
How much property damage car insurance do I need? In Michigan, our recommendation is for drivers to purchase property damage liability insurance (which covers “injury to or destruction of property of others” resulting from an at-fault, out-of-state accident) with a minimum limit of $100,000.
Can you sue for damages in Michigan? ›
Michigan law permits you to file a lawsuit to recover damages against an individual who harms you physically, but only if they have caused you to suffer from “serious impairment of body function or permanent serious disfigurement.” Likewise, you can sue someone who causes destruction to your car, your home, or other ...
