One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning®, Benjamin Franklin Plumbing®, and Mister Sparky® Electric Earn Highest Rankings to date in Entrepreneur Magazine's 2017 Franchise 500®

HOUSTON, Jan. 10, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning® (One Hour), Benjamin Franklin Plumbing® (Benjamin Franklin) and Mister Sparky® electric, part of the Direct Energy family of brands with independently owned and operated locations throughout North America, have earned their highest rankings to date in Entrepreneur Magazine's 38^th Annual "Franchise 500®" list released on Jan. 10. One Hour and Mister Sparky rank as No.1 (since 2013 and 2014) in their respective services categories. Benjamin Franklin secures the No. 2 spot for the third consecutive year.

All three brands climbed more than or close to 100 spots from last year's rankings, with One Hour top-ranked at number 30 on the list of 500 franchises.

"The proven business-building systems and processes of our home services brands enable franchisees to dramatically increase their profits and expand their business," said Mark Baker, president of franchise, Direct Energy. "Continuing to solidify our spot in Entrepreneur's rankings is a testament to the hard-work and dedication of our franchise owners to deliver exceptional customer service."

The Direct Energy family of brands prides itself on its commitment to customer service with repair services available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and a 100 percent satisfaction guarantee. Along with one of the best on-time guarantees in the country, all services are backed by highly skilled professionals trained and experienced to exceed customer expectations and needs. All technicians go through a drug screening and background check to ensure customers receive quality service from a professional they can trust.

Entrepreneur Magazine compiles its list based on companies' financial strength and stability, and growth rate and size of the franchise system. Other considerations include the number of years in business and length of time franchising, startup costs, percentage of terminations and whether the company provided financing. This data is reviewed by an independent auditor for evaluation, ensuring no franchisor has the ability to gain an unfair advantage.

About Direct Energy:

Direct Energy is one of North America's largest energy and energy-related services providers with nearly five million residential and commercial customers. 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 50 U.S. states plus the District of Columbia and 10 provinces in Canada.

© 2016 Clockwork IP, LLC.

SOURCE Direct Energy