Electronic Communications Terms & Conditions

Electronic Notices

i) Bill notices and other important notices about your account will be sent to you electronically from unmonitored mailboxes with the following addresses: customer@consumersenergy.com, eServices@cmsenergy.com or noreply@alerts.consumersenergy.com. Please add these email addresses to your address book so they are not marked as spam by any email filtering software you may use. You may contact us by phone at 800-477-5050 for assistance.

ii) You may receive emails from us (or a third party acting on our behalf) containing information we think you may find helpful or interesting (“Informational Emails"). If required by law, you will be given the option to “opt out” of receiving future Informational Emails.

Consumers Energy (CECARE) – 232273 Short Message Service (SMS) Notifications

When you opt-in to the SMS using a short code by texting REG, we will send you an SMS text message to confirm your sign-up. By sending a text message for participation in the text messaging program or by using our text program at any time, you are agreeing to the Terms and Conditions set forth. These Terms and Conditions are subject to change.

Cancel or Opt-Out of SMS

You can cancel and opt-out of the SMS service at any time. Just text “STOP” to 232273 to stop. We will send you an SMS message to confirm that you have been unsubscribed. After this, you will no longer receive SMS messages from us. If you want to join again, just text “REG” to short code to register as you did the first time. We will start sending SMS messages to you again.

SMS Help

If, at any time, you forget what keywords are supported, just text “HELP” to 232273 for help. We will respond with several keywords supported by our service: REG, NICK, OUT, STAT, PAUSE, RESUME, STOP. You may contact us by phone at 800-477-5050 for assistance.

SMS Carrier Providers

We are able to deliver messages to the following major mobile phone carriers and most minor carriers:

• Major carriers: AT&T, Verizon Wireless, Sprint, T-Mobile/MetroPCS, Boost Mobile, Virgin Mobile, and Google Voice
  
  
• Minor carriers: Advantage Cellular (DTC Wireless), Aio Wireless, Alaska Communications Systems (ACS), Appalachian Wireless (EKN), Bluegrass Cellular, Carolina West Wireless, CellCom, Cellular One of East Central IL (ECIT), Cellular One of Northeast Arizona, Cellular One of Northeast Pennsylvania, Chariton Valley Cellular, Cincinnati Bell Wireless, Cricket, Coral Wireless (Mobi PCS), Cross, C-Spire (CellSouth), Duet IP (Maximum Communications New Core Wireless), Element Mobile (Flat Wireless), Epic Touch (Elkhart Telephone), GCI, Golden State, Hawkeye (Chat Mobility), Hawkeye (NW Missouri), Illinois Valley Cellular, Inland Cellular, iWireless (Iowa Wireless), Keystone Wireless (Immix Wireless/PC Man), MetroPCS, Mosaic (Consolidated or CTC Telecom), MTA Communications, MTPCS (Cellular One Nation), Nex-Tech Wireless, NTelos, Panhandle Communications, Peoples Wireless, Pine Cellular, Pioneer, Plateau (Texas RSA 3 Ltd), RINA, Sagebrush Cellular (Nemont), SI Wireless/Mobile Nation, Simmetry (TMP Corporation), SouthernLinc, SRT Wireless, Thumb Cellular, Union Wireless, United Wireless, U.S. Cellular, Viaero Wireless, and West Central (WCC or 5 Star Wireless)
  
  
• Alert Delivery: Alerts sent via SMS may not be delivered to you if your phone is not in range of a transmission site, or if sufficient network capacity is not available at a particular time. Even within a coverage area, factors beyond Verizon’s control may interfere with message delivery, including the customer's equipment, terrain, proximity to buildings, foliage, and weather. You acknowledge that urgent alerts may not be timely received and that Verizon and T-Mobile/MetroPCS do not guarantee that alerts will be delivered

Consumers Energy -- Live & Automated Voice Notifications

When you provide a phone number (landline or cell phone) to Consumers Energy and/or elect to participate in voice alerts and notifications, you agree that we may contact you by automated or live calls, including if you provide a cell phone number, or a number that is later converted to a cell phone number.

NETWORK, MESSAGE AND DATA RATES

AS ALWAYS, NETWORK, MESSAGE AND DATA RATES MAY APPLY. MESSAGE FREQUENCY VARIES. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR TEXT PLAN OR DATA PLAN, IT IS BEST TO CONTACT YOUR WIRELESS PROVIDER. FOR GENERAL QUESTIONS ABOUT THE SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE SHORT CODE, YOU CAN VISIT https://www.consumersenergy.com/customer/profile/preferences/alert-information.

Electronic Communications Privacy

Please refer to our privacy policy for details on how Consumers Energy manages your email information. Additionally, Consumers Energy uses iFactor Consulting Inc. to deliver our electronic communications, if you have any questions regarding the privacy of your electronic communications data, please visit: http://www.ifactorconsulting.com/privacy.

Electronic Payments

Please note that Consumers Energy does not accept payments through this process from collection agencies and third party agencies, and does not allow access to the Text (SMS) payment platform to any such agencies. By using the Text (SMS) payment platform, you represent and warrant that you are not a collection agency, third party agency, third party commercial payor, or a payment aggregator. You agree that any breach of this warranty constitutes a material breach of this agreement. You agree to (i) indemnify Consumers Energy for interchange fees, merchant fees, as well as all other costs and fees in processing a payment transaction in violation of this agreement, and (ii) indemnify Consumers Energy for all other damages, costs, expenses, and attorneys’ fees resulting from your breach of this agreement.

User Conduct

You agree not to send or otherwise make available content that is unlawful, harmful, threatening, abusive, harassing, tortious, defamatory, vulgar, obscene, libelous, invasive of another’s privacy, or contains hate speech.

I. DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTIES

YOU EXPRESSLY UNDERSTAND AND AGREE THAT YOUR PARTICIPATION IN THE TEXT PROGRAM IS AT YOUR SOLE RISK. THE TEXT PROGRAM IS PROVIDED ON AN “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE” BASIS. CONSUMERS ENERGY COMPANY & iFACTOR CONSULTING INC. AND ITS OFFICERS, AGENTS, EMPLOYEES, LICENSORS, AND SUPPLIERS EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. CONSUMERS ENERGY COMPANY iFACTOR CONSULTING INC. AND ITS OFFICERS, AGENTS, EMPLOYEES, LICENSORS, AND SUPPLIERS MAKE NO WARRANTY THAT (A) THE TEXT PROGRAM WILL MEET YOUR REQUIREMENTS; (B) THE TEXT PROGRAM WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, TIMELY, SECURE, OR ERROR-FREE; OR (C) THE RESULTS THAT MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE USE OF THE TEXT PROGRAM WILL BE ACCURATE OR RELIABLE.

II. LIMITATION ON LIABILITY

YOU EXPRESSLY UNDERSTAND AND AGREE THAT CONSUMERS ENERGY COMPANY & iFACTOR CONSULTING INC. AND ITS OFFICERS, AGENTS, EMPLOYEES, PARTNERS, CONTRACTORS, CONSULTANTS, LICENSORS, AND SUPPLIERS SHALL NOT BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR EXEMPLARY DAMAGES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF PROFITS, GOODWILL, USE, DATA OR OTHER INTANGIBLE LOSSES OR ANY OTHER MATTER RELATING TO THE TEXT PROGRAM.

Termination

Consumers Energy reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to cancel or suspend any or all of its Text Program, in whole or in part, for any reason, with or without notice to you.

Card Payments: Consumers Energy may limit or restrict certain Commercial and Industrial customer classes from paying with a credit or debit cards. These restrictions do not apply to customers in shut off status. For information about card payment eligibility, please call 800-477-5050.