The Detroit Free Press has an in-depth feature looking at the impact of monthly energy expenses that have jumped at least 50% from a year ago. National standards dictate that an affordable energy bill should equal 6% of a typical household income. There are more than 180,000 Michigan households living on incomes at or below 50% of the federal poverty level and 1% of all Michiganians are below the federal poverty line. Many of these families passed the 6% mark years ago.

Kathleen Walgren, executive director of The Heat and Warmth Fund (THAW), a Detroit-based nonprofit, said: "This is our Katrina. We saw this coming, but I think that we haven't paid attention to good energy policy for a long time, as a country and as a state."

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