2011 Ontario Junior Citizen Finalists Recognized

TORONTO, ON (3/8/2012) - This afternoon, 12 exceptional youth will be honoured as recipients of the Ontario Junior Citizen of the Year Award. The recognition ceremony will be held at Queens Park and officiated by the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario the Honourable David C. Onley, who will acknowledge and congratulate the finalists for their outstanding work and dedication to their communities.

"The noteworthy accomplishments of these 12 young volunteers are inspiring, and it is important to Direct Energy that they are acknowledged and recognized for their dedication" said Adèle Malo, Executive Vice-President of Legal, Government & Regulatory Affairs for Direct Energy. "This is why we are proud to sponsor the Ontario Junior Citizen of the Year Awards and continue to believe in the spirit of volunteerism and rewarding the leaders of tomorrow."

For the third straight year, Direct Energy has sponsored the award program which is run through the Ontario Community Newspaper Association (OCNA). Nominations of eligible youth aged six to 17 were received through the 315 member newspapers of OCNA last fall. The 12 finalists were chosen unanimously by a panel of judges in late-January. This year OCNA received 176 nominations from across Ontario all of which were acknowledged with Certificates of Recognition by their local community newspapers.

"Volunteers by nature tend to avoid the spotlight so we hope to recognize as many volunteers as possible through the Ontario Junior Citizen of the Year Awards," said Malo. "All 176 nominees are truly inspirational young leaders, as they have all achieved remarkable accomplishments for their communities".

Direct Energy is proud to support community volunteerism and the young leaders who are making a difference in their communities through the Ontario Junior Citizen of the Year Award and local Citizen of the Year Award programs in Alberta, Cleveland and Pittsburgh.

About Direct Energy

Direct Energy is North America's largest energy and energy-related services providers with over 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 states plus DC and 10 provinces in Canada.

About Ontario Community Newspapers Association

The Ontario Community Newspapers Association is a non-profit industry association representing more than 310 community newspapers. These newspapers and their dedicated staff are leaders in their own communities. The association takes pride in assisting our members to acknowledge the contributions of outstanding young people across the province.

For further information, please contact:

Emily Richardson
Public Relations
Direct Energy
1-416-758-8979
emily.richardson@directenergy.com

Kelly Gorven
Junior Citizens Coordinator
OCNA
1-905-639-8720 ext 239
c.alexander@ocna.org

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