Direct Energy Partners with SmartThings to Bring Smart Home to Energy Customers

HOUSTON, Aug. 11, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Direct Energy, one of the largest retail providers of electricity, natural gas, and home services in all of North America, today launched a partnership with SmartThings to  bring a smarter, safer, connected home to energy customers in Texas.

Direct Energy will offer customers Smart Home Starter Kits from SmartThings that include a Hub and a number of sensors and controllable devices focused on energy management, basic home security, and home automation, such as smart power outlets, motion sensors, and open/close sensors. These smart devices communicate with each other inside the home and connect with the homeowners' smart devices through the SmartThings mobile app, allowing the homeowner to set context-sensitive, "if this, then that" home automation rules and stay connected with their home and family from anywhere, anytime.

"This partnership brings the latest and greatest in energy management and home automation technology literally to our customer's fingertips," said Robbie Wright, Vice President of Digital & Innovation, Direct Energy. "We want to empower our customers through our thought leadership and innovative technology. Smart Things is helping shape the Smart Home, and we are excited to offer our customers the convenience and control that this technology delivers."

Starting today for a limited time, new and existing customers in Texas enrolling in any of the low, competitive, fixed-term energy plans from Direct Energy and Bounce Energy will receive a free SmartThings Starter Kit. More details and an illustrative video showing how SmartThings works are at www.directenergy.com/getsmartthings and www.bounceenergy.com/getsmartthings.

SmartThings is compatible with hundreds of smart devices from a variety of manufacturers, and customers can add many other popular smart devices like smart lighting, locks, smart switches, thermostats, video cameras, leak detectors, and garage door openers to create a fully connected home. There are no contracts or installation costs; customers will be able to follow simple setup instructions that can be completed in as little as 15 minutes to enjoy convenience and home control at their fingertips.

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. Through its Direct Energy, Bounce Energy, New Leaf, CPL Retail Energy and WTU Retail Energy brands, the company is the third-largest retail electricity provider in Texas. It owns a series of energy-related services companies. 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 states and 10 provinces in Canada. To learn more about Direct Energy, visit www.directenergy.com/texas.  

About SmartThings
SmartThings is building the open Platform for the smart home and the Internet of Things. It offers consumers an easy way to turn their homes into smart homes. SmartThings gives people the power to monitor, control, and automate their homes from the palm of their hands–wherever they are.

SmartThings customers can create customized smart homes that respond to their unique needs and match their preferences by adding any number of smart devices to their home. SmartThings is compatible with hundreds of smart locks, lights, thermostats, and other connected products from a variety of manufacturers–all of which you can control from SmartThings' free app. The SmartThings open Platform also supports more than 5,000 inventors and developers who are constantly creating new ways to use SmartThings.  

SmartThings has raised $15.5M in venture capital from Greylock Partners, Highland Capital Partners, First Round Capital, SV Angel, Lerer Ventures, Max Levchin, Start Fund by Yuri Milner, A-Grade, David Tisch, CrunchFund, and others. SmartThings is headquartered in Washington, D.C. with offices in San Francisco, and Minneapolis. 

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SOURCE Direct Energy