(1) A provider shall, in the ordinary course of business, make efforts to identify senior citizen customers by at least 1 of the following methods:

    (a) Conducting customer interviews.

    (b) Obtaining information from a consumer reporting agency or consumer reporting service.

    (c) A personal or automated telephone call where direct contact is made with a member of the customer's household or a message is recorded on an answering machine or voice mail.

    (d) First-class mail.

    (e) A personal visit to the customer.

    (f) A written notice left at or on the customer's door.

    (g) A bill insert.

    (h) Any other method approved by the commission for regulated utilities.

    (2) A provider shall comply with the requirements imposed in subsection (1) within 30 days after the effective date of the amendatory act that added this section. The provider's governing body may for good cause grant an extension to a provider for compliance with subsection (1).

    (3) As used in this section:

    (a) "Consumer reporting agency" means that term as defined in section 603 of the fair credit reporting act, 15 USC 1681a.

    (b) "Provider" means a municipally owned electric or natural gas utility.

    (c) "Senior citizen" means a provider customer who is 65 years of age or older.