Direct Energy and City of Barberton Offer Residents and Small Businesses Natural Gas Price Direct Choice provides pricing stability during winter heating months

Baberton, OH (9/28/2009) - With heating season just around the corner and energy prices at an all-time low, the City of Barberton has announced that it’s recommending Direct Energy’s natural gas services to the community’s residents and small businesses.
Through a new marketing agreement called Direct Choice, the City of Barberton has arranged for Direct Energy to offer its citizens a natural gas price of $6.66 per mcf for the first year (December 2009 bill cycles through November 2010 bill cycles) of the two-year program.

“If people are thinking about locking in to a fixed-price plan soon, they should think about enrolling in Direct Energy’s Direct Choice offer.” said Bob Genet, Mayor of Barberton. “This product is extremely valuable for residents because it offers a set price for an extended period of time, particularly during the winter season when natural gas consumption is at its highest.”
“We know that customers value stability, especially during periods of economic instability,” said Mike Beck, Vice President for Direct Energy. “This product should ease customer concerns about volatile energy bills because the price they’ll pay for natural gas will not change for a year, regardless of the activity on the wholesale market. We offer this program with the City of Barberton, as part of our commitment to being a long-term, customer-focused, energy partner in Ohio.”
In order to take advantage of the Direct Choice offer, residents need to be eligible to participate in the state’s customer choice program and have a residence or business located within the city limits. Also, residents must actively enroll into the program to receive this price. If residents are already under contract with another supplier, but wish to enroll with Direct Energy, they should review their current contract to determine if they will be charged an early cancellation fee to switch suppliers.

To learn more about Direct Energy’s Direct Choice offer, residents 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 of Barberton already has an existing agreement with Direct Energy for a natural gas Opt-Out Aggregation Program, a separate program that is available to residential and small business consumers currently served by the utility. Under the Opt-Out Aggregation process, consumers currently served by the utility are automatically included in the Opt-Out Aggregation pricing plan unless they contact Direct Energy to be excluded. Customers who are eligible for the Opt-Out Aggregation program will receive letters from Direct Energy in early October informing them of the program price, term and opt-out deadline.

About Direct Energy
Direct Energy, one of North America’s leading integrated energy companies, supplies natural gas to more than 250,000 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 Miami Township, 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 community-based organizations throughout North America to aid them in trying to end 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.