Direct Energy Awards Global Links $2,500 Grant

Pittsburgh-area nonprofits apply to receive funds for energy-efficient upgrades

PITTSBURGH, PA (July 16, 2013) - Direct Energy will be presenting a $2,500 Reduce Your Use For Good Grant to Global Links, a nonprofit medical relief and development organization dedicated to improving health in resource-poor communities while reducing medical waste, on July 18, 2013 at 6:30 p.m. at Global Links, 700 Trumbull Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15205. The check presentation will be a part of their Volunteer Appreciation Event.

Through the Reduce Your Use For Good Program, Direct Energy is offering nonprofits up to $100,000 to implement energy-saving changes to their operations, and awards grants in $2,500 increments. Applications are available online at ReduceYourUseForGood.com and on the Direct Energy Facebook page.

"At Direct Energy, we're committed to harnessing our energy expertise to make a difference in people's lives," said Jason Wasserman, commercial director for Direct Energy. "Reduce Your Use For Good grants like this one for Global Links will help support nonprofits to decrease their energy use in order to have more funds to support their mission."

To apply for the grant, Global Links submitted a short video showcasing their facility and their mission.

"Global Links is delighted to have been awarded this grant from Direct Energy," said Kathleen Hower, Global Links chief executive officer and co-founder. "Through this wonderful grant, our organization has the opportunity to further support our energy saving efforts in our new world headquarters lowering our operational costs and allowing us to direct more resources directly to our mission."

In an effort to use social media to drive social good, Direct Energy is leveraging its Facebook community to help award the grants. For every 2,500 new "Likes" Direct Energy receives on their Facebook page, they will award another nonprofit applicant with $2,500 to be used toward reducing their energy use, helping them to continue the good work they do.

In 2012, the program awarded $115,000 in grants to more than 40 organizations in Texas to assist them in updating their energy appliances for new and more efficient ones. To be eligible, organizations must have a current and active Registered Charitable Number in Canada or 501(c)(3) status in the United States, be registered with and be in good standing with the appropriate state registration agency, and be in a Direct Energy service area.

For more information, visit ReduceYourUseForGood.com.

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.

About Global Links

Global Links is a medical relief and development organization dedicated to improving health in resource-poor communities while reducing medical waste. By recovering high-quality surplus medical supplies and equipment from U.S. hospitals and distributing them to public healthcare institutions, primarily in Latin America and the Caribbean, Global Links provides a socially and environmentally beneficial alternative to sending tons of still-useful materials to landfills. Since 1989, Global Links has delivered over $200 million in critical medical aid through our collaborative, capacity building programs. In addition our unique Suture Donation Program recovers life-saving sutures to help patients worldwide. For more information, visit www.globallinks.org.

For more information, please contact:

Andrea Romo
Direct Energy
412.334.9510
Andrea.Romo@directenergy.com