DETROIT – DTE Energy has abandoned the practice of forcing certain customers to pay their utility bills only with cash, though thousands still face payment method restrictions.
The changes come after advocates sought to restrict DTE’s unique “cash-only” policy, with some arguing it punished low-income customers struggling to stay current on their energy bills.
The payment method restrictions can be imposed when a DTE customer has a returned bill payment, like a bounced check, failed bank withdrawal for insufficient funds or denied credit card payment…