Credit Reporting
Companies that want to check credit ratings for individuals can contact four credit-reporting agencies: Experian, Equifax, Innovis and TransUnion. These agencies have access to payment records from credit grantors, such as credit card companies, and mortgage and auto loan lenders. They use the payment information to produce a credit report.
DTE Energy's credit reporting program is limited to customers who have an unpaid balance at a location where DTE service is no longer connected. Balances that continue to be unpaid 60 days after the final DTE bill was due may be subject to credit reporting to the major credit reporting agencies.
It's important to have a good credit rating when applying for home and auto loans, credit cards or personal lines of credit. Before approving a loan, creditors check an individual’s credit history.
For customers who are having trouble paying their bill at a site where service is connected, we encourage you to learn more about DTE Energy Assistance. Please visit our pages on General Assistance, Low-Income Programs, our Shutoff Protection Plan and our Low-Income Self-Sufficiency Plan.
For customers who are having trouble paying their final balance by the due date, DTE provides an additional 60 day grace period before reporting any unpaid balance to credit reporting agencies. This allows customers time to 1) pay the total amount of the bill, or 2) work out a payment agreement through our third party collection agencies.
Any information on your credit report can be investigated through credit-reporting agencies. You can obtain a free copy of your credit report once every 12 months by contacting the agencies at their toll-free number or visiting their websites.
Experian: (888) 397-3742 or experian.com
Innovis: (800) 540-2505 or innovis.com
Equifax: (800) 685-1111 or equifax.com
TransUnion: (877) 322-8228 or transunion.com
To learn more about credit reporting, visit the Consumer Data Industry Association. This website shows you how to get your credit report, offers insights on law and regulation, and answers frequently asked questions about credit reporting.