City of Marietta Locks in Natural Gas Rates Early for Winter

Marietta, OH  (4/14/2009) - The City of Marietta has locked in a competitive natural gas rate of $6.98 per thousand cubic feet (Mcf) for most of the 2009 winter season as part of its residential and small commercial aggregation program with Direct Energy.

The Marietta 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 November 2009 bill cycle, customers already participating in the program will see their rate decrease from $9.915 to $6.98 per Mcf. The new rate, which will apply through the January 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.

”Rates are the lowest we have seen in quite some time, so we felt now was an ideal time to lock in rates for the winter when natural gas consumption is highest in the household,” said Michael Mullen, Mayor of the City of Marietta.

“We’re pleased we were able to negotiate this stable rate with the City of Marietta,” said Mike Beck, vice president and general manager for Direct Energy. “Customers who want predictability during the peak winter season should find value in this program offer.”

Eligible customers that are currently not participating in the program will receive an opt-out letter the week of April 13, 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 $9.915 effective with the May 2009 bill cycle, but their rate will decrease to $6.98 effective with the November 2009 bill cycle, and through the January 2010 bill cycle. The opt-out aggregation program is available only to residents and small business owners who live or operate in the city limits of Marietta 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.

To learn more about the program customers can contact Direct Energy’s Customer Service Department toll free at 1-866-803-4618, 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.
The city's agreement with Direct Energy was formed through a state-created opt-out aggregation program, which has already been approved by Marietta 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.

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 a subsidiary of Centrica plc. All rights reserved. Centrica was created following the demerger of British Gas plc in 1997 and is now a leading supplier of energy and related services. To read more about Centrica plc please visit www.centrica.com.