Direct Energy a New Choice for Philadelphia Electricity Customers

First thousand customers to enroll get free furnace tune-up to prepare their homes for winter

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Nov 17, 2010, 09:34 ET

PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 17, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- As rate caps are lifted in South Eastern Pennsylvania starting January 1, 2011 – nearly 1.5 million residential electricity customers in the PECO service area will be able to pick which company supplies electricity to their homes. Now more than ever, consumers are conscious of managing their energy bills going into winter and looking for simple ways to ease the pressure on their pocket books.

With this in mind, Direct Energy is offering a competitive, guaranteed fixed-price electricity deal – with no cancellation fee and the bonus of a free furnace and air conditioning tune-up and safety check for the first 1,000 customers who enroll beginning today. Direct Energy, one of North America's leading energy companies, is building on its 10 years of experience in supplying residential and business customers across the state to extend its electricity service to the PECO area.

The Direct Energy electricity deal:

12-month guaranteed fixed-price electricity at $0.0942 per kWh
No cancellation fee
Senior citizens and military personnel will receive a discounted rate of $0.0922 per kWh
Free furnace and air conditioning tune-up and safety check for the first 1,000 customers who enroll worth up to $300*

"We believe that customers should have a choice when it comes to their electricity supplier. With rate caps lifted, it allows for a level playing field for other electricity suppliers to offer customers a competitive price. Consumers like to shop around for great deals for their home, whether it's buying a new TV or finding the right cell-phone or cable package. Now, thanks to the legislative and regulatory support for competition in the energy market across the state, electricity customers in the Philadelphia area will finally have the power to choose their electricity supplier," said Steven Murray, President of Direct Energy's residential business.

Direct Energy is committed to providing competitive pricing and innovative products to help people manage their energy needs. Together with its home services company, One Hour Heating and Air Conditioning® and our franchise partners in Pennsylvania, it is delivering a new offer to the first 1,000 customers who enroll to help get their homes ready for winter. Each of those customers will receive a year's free membership to the "Comfort Club" maintenance program which will provide a precision tune-up and safety check of their homes heating and air conditioning equipment.

According to the Department of Energy, heating and cooling account for 43 percent of a typical home's energy costs. Combining proper equipment maintenance with other efficiency measures can cut consumers' heating- and cooling-related energy usage by 20 percent or more.**

The company already has a strong and committed presence in Pennsylvania that serves residential, small business and commercial and industrial customers. Currently the company serves residential customers in PPL, Pike County, Duquesne Light and Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania service areas, from its regional headquarters in Pittsburgh.

Philadelphia residents can find out more about Direct Energy's products by calling toll-free on 888-734-0741 or visit www.directenergy.com.

For more information on the benefits and the value of Comfort Club membership with One Hour Heating and Air Conditioning® – check out www.onehourheatandair.com

About Direct Energy

Direct Energy is one of North America's largest energy and energy related services providers with more than 6 million residential and commercial customer relationships. Direct Energy provides customers with choice and support in managing their energy costs through a portfolio of innovative products and services. A subsidiary of Centrica plc (LSE: CNA), one of the world's leading integrated energy companies, Direct Energy operates in 46 U.S. states plus the District of Columbia and 10 provinces in Canada. Direct Energy Residential and Direct Energy Business have approximately 300 employees in Pennsylvania. In 2009, Direct Energy Business located its North American headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. More recently, Direct Energy acquired Clockwork Home Services in June 2010, which has 29 small businesses in the state, employing as many as 215 people, and its affinity group members employ another 314 people throughout Pennsylvania.

About One Hour's Comfort Club Membership

Membership in the One Hour "Comfort Club" gives heating and cooling security for your home. It is designed to protect the lifespan of your heating and air conditioning system investment, while ensuring your system is running efficiently. Membership includes one precision tune-up, professional cleaning and rejuvenation of your furnace and air conditioner, plus one safety check for each. In the unfortunate circumstances that your equipment does break down, members will also benefit from "Breakdown-Free Guarantee" – meaning that if the system breaks down we will provide you with a 20% discount on all repairs. In addition, as a Comfort Club member you will be given priority to make sure we can get a technician out to your home as soon as possible.

*Retail market prices for membership of One Hour Heating and Air Conditioning® - Comfort Club range between $199 up to $300, depending on the type of equipment in the home.

**As cited on the Department of Energy's Energy Efficiency website at www.energysavers.gov/tips/heating_cooling.cfm

SOURCE Direct Energy