LANSING — Approximately 309,000 Michigan taxpayers who received Home Heating Credits in 2016 will get an additional one-time credit of $44 or $22 this month to help keep their homes warm.

The payments are the result of a $12 million supplemental to spend remaining 2017 federal Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program block grant dollars received by Michigan. The additional credit will be generated automatically. Eligible households do not need to do anything to receive the credit.

Households that had direct heating obligations — such as heating bills that they paid — will receive $44. Households with indirect heating obligations — heat cost included in their rent or a heat bill in someone else’s name — will receive $22.

Recipients of the additional credit are households that filed a 2016 MI-1040CR-7 Home Heating Credit Claim and qualified for the credit.

Anyone whose original Home Heating Credit was paid directly to their heat provider will also have the supplemental payment sent to the heating provider and will receive written notification in a mailing the Michigan Department of Treasury is sending this month. Treasury will mail checks to all other households that are eligible for the supplemental Home Heating Credit. Recipients are encouraged to apply this payment to their heat bill even if there is no current balance owed.

The credit cannot be replaced or reissued. Anyone who receives a utility shutoff notice during the next six months cannot receive shutoff assistance from MDHHS if the credit is not applied to their heating bill.

Anyone with questions on their Home Heating Credit can contact Treasury at: Michigan Department of Treasury, Customer Contact Section, P.O. Box 30058, Lansing, MI 48909, or call 517-636-4486.

For information regarding heat assistance, contact the MDHHS energy hotline at 855-275-6424, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., or visit the energy website at www.michigan.gov/heatingassistance.