City of Tallmadge Locks in Natural Gas Rate for Community Aggregation Program

Tallmadge, OH  (5/11/2009) - The City of Tallmadge has locked in a competitive natural gas rate of $8.96 per thousand cubic feet (Mcf) for the second year of its residential and small commercial opt-out aggregation program with Direct Energy.

The Tallmadge opt-out aggregation is a program in which customers who are currently being served by the utility are automatically included in the opt-out aggregation unless they decide not to participate.

Effective with the December 2009 bill cycle, customers already participating in the program will see their rate decrease from $9.99 to $8.96 per Mcf.[i] The new rate, which will apply through the November 2010 bill cycle, excludes taxes and fees for services provided by the local utility Dominion East Ohio (DEO). This unique program also includes an additional discount of $0.10 per Mcf off the initial commodity price for senior citizens age 65 and older who are the primary owners of their residence.

”The new rate we’ve struck for next year is over 10% lower than this year’s competitive rate with Direct Energy,” said David Kline, Service Director for the City of Tallmadge.

“We are happy that the city was able to negotiate a lower rate for the second year of the program,” said Mike Beck, vice president for Direct Energy.

Eligible customers that are currently not participating in the program will receive an opt-out letter the week of May 4, 2009. The letter indicates that if the customer does not opt-out, they will automatically be enrolled into the program at the current price of $9.99 per Mcf effective with the June 2009 bill cycle, but their rate will decrease to $8.96 per Mcf effective with the December 2009 bill cycle. Eligible residents who previously declined to be part of the program will not receive a letter.

The opt-out aggregation program is available only to residents and small business owners who live or operate in the city limits of Tallmadge within the Dominion East Ohio service territory. To be eligible residents must be:

· supplied by DEO (not under contract with a retail supplier)

· current on their bills with DEO and

· not a Percentage Income Payment Plan customer.

Those who have a natural gas contract with a supplier other than the utility are not eligible for the opt-out aggregation program. If they are interested in participating in the program, such customers should compare their rate with the aggregation rate and consider any cancellation fee that their current supplier may charge before deciding to change to the aggregation program. Once DEO confirms that the customers are not served by another supplier, these customers may be included in the mailing for the next opt-out enrollment period.

The city's agreement with Direct Energy was formed through a state-created opt-out aggregation program, which has already been approved by Tallmadge voters. Aggregations allow municipalities and other governmental entities to choose a preferred natural gas provider through a competitive bidding process to deliver competitive rates by leveraging economies of scale. The provider and the local government then agree on a pricing methodology for natural gas that's based on volume buying.

To learn more about the City of Tallmadge opt-out aggregation program customers can contact Direct Energy’s Customer Service Department toll free at: 1-866-760-6040, Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. EST and Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. EST.

About Direct Energy
Direct Energy, one of North America’s leading integrated energy companies, supplies natural gas to more than 200,000 customers in Ohio. The company has operated in Ohio since 2004, and has a regional office located in Dublin. Direct Energy also provides energy related services to residential and business customers through its U.S. Home Services business that is headquartered in Dayton, Ohio. The company, a subsidiary of Centrica, also operates in Texas, the northeastern United States and across Canada. Direct Energy's commitment to helping others extends beyond Ohio. The company partners with other community-based organizations throughout North America to aid them in ending poverty and homelessness.

For additional information, contact:

Yvette Hamilton
Direct Energy
(713) 877-5818
yvette.hamilton@directenergy.com

Direct Energy is one of North America’s largest energy and energy-related services providers with over five 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 21 states in the United States plus the District of Columbia and 10 provinces in Canada. To learn more about Direct Energy, visit www.directenergy.com.