New Options Make it Easier to Control Energy Costs

HARRISBURG, Pa., March 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Building off the success of its first time-of-use electricity product, Free Power Saturdays, Direct Energy is now offering two more innovative products to help residential customers in the Pennsylvania Power and Light (PPL) territory take control of their electricity costs. Free Power Day is an energy plan that allows customers to pick any day of the week, not just Saturdays, to receive free electricity all day. The Best Hourly Rate Plan offers two different rates during on-peak and off-peak hours throughout the day, encouraging customers to use energy when costs are lower.

"For our customers, convenience and flexibility is important," said Cory Byzewski, Vice President and General Manager for Direct Energy. "No two households use energy in the same way, so by offering time-of-use products that are truly customizable to each and every home, customers are able to manage their electricity costs in a way that works for them and their family."

Take Direct Energy customer Colleen Wassell, for example, who has an active family of five and understands the importance of cutting costs wherever possible. By doing the bulk of her household chores on her free electricity day, Colleen has made a significant difference in her energy bills.

"We compared our electricity usage from February 2011 to 2012 and were thrilled to find that our electricity bill has almost been cut in half thanks to Free Power Saturdays. Feeling in control of at least one of our family's bills is a huge relief," said Wassell.

Both the Free Power Day and Best Hourly Rate Plan are designed to let customers tailor electricity consumption around their busy schedules to save on costs. With the 12-month Free Power Day plan, customers choose one day of the week to not be charged for electricity usage from 12:00 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. The rest of the week they will be charged a fixed rate of $0.0869 cents per kWh.

The Best Hourly Rate Plan is a 12-month traditional time-of-use product where customers are charged a different rate depending on what time of day the energy consumption occurs. The Best Hourly Rate Plan features two separate periods: on-peak and off-peak. The on-peak period begins at 12:00 p.m. and ends after 6:59 p.m., and the off-peak period is anytime before 12:00 p.m. and after 6:59 p.m.  These times include weekdays, as well as the entire weekend. During on-peak hours, customers pay $0.0869 cents per kWh and off-peak hours are $0.0669 cents per kWh.

PPL residential customers can enroll in either the Free Power Day or Best Hourly Rate Plan with the assurance that if it doesn't work for them or they change their mind, they will not be penalized or required to pay a cancellation fee to switch to a different plan. To learn more about any of the time-of-use products, customers can visit http://bit.ly/TimeOfUsePlans.

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. 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 U.S. states plus the District of Columbia and 10 provinces in Canada.

SOURCE Direct Energy