Direct Energy Offers a New Tool for Customers to Monitor and Control Energy Use

Houston, TX (August 25, 2015) - Think about how many times you've left your house wondering if you turned off the TV or an iron. Now, imagine having the ability to not only turn plugged in appliances and electronics on and off remotely, but also to monitor their usage from anywhere. Direct Energy, one of the largest energy and energy services providers in North America, is now offering the WeMo Insight Switch to Direct Energy and Bounce Energy customers in Texas.

The Wi-Fi-enabled WeMo Insight Switch connects plugged in home appliances and electronic devices to a customer's Wi-Fi network. It gives customers the ability to remotely turn plugged in electronics on and off, create rules, schedules and receive notifications at their fingertips. The device also provides the user with real-time data for power draw, usage time, and estimated operating cost for the device plugged into the switch.

"We are excited to offer the WeMo Insight Switch to our customers to help them monitor energy consumption and estimated cost, while giving them the option to instantly control how to reduce their energy use," said Robbie Wright, vice president of Innovation and Digital, Direct Energy Residential.

Using the WeMo Insight Switch and WeMo app, users can find out if they've left the iron plugged in while not at home and turn it off remotely, find out if their kids are watching TV instead of doing homework, or schedule a lamp to turn on before arriving at their front doorstep.

Survey takers may receive special discount offers for Direct Energy's products and services that also correspond to personalized information. All of this occurs in real-time, allowing consumers to take immediate action. Direct Energy also will use customer insights captured in the surveys to inform continued future improvements in products and services.

"We're excited to team up with Direct Energy to make energy savings for people easier than ever," said Peter Taylor, Director of Product Management for WeMo. "The WeMo Insight Switch empowers Direct Energy customers to reduce energy consumption by giving them a peek into just how much energy their devices use, enabling them to turn their electronics on or off from anywhere, or automatically respond to real energy usage with customizable rules, or program schedules, which can ultimately save them money."

This new offer is part of the Direct Energy family of brands' promise to help customers "buy less of what we sell." This approach gives customers the control to lower their energy use in a way that could help lower their monthly energy costs through Direct Energy's innovative suite of products and services.

The WeMo Insight Switch will be available for new and existing Direct Energy and Bounce Energy customers in Midland/Odessa, Dallas Fort Worth, Tyler, Waco and Houston when they sign up for an eligible fixed energy plan. Eligible Direct Energy and Bounce Energy customers must be in the CenterPoint Energy and Oncor service areas.

More details on this limited time offer and an illustrative video are at http://www.directenergy.com/wemo-insight and http://www.bounceenergy.com/wemo-insight.

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About Direct Energy: Direct Energy is one of North America's largest energy and energy-related services provider with nearly five million residential and commercial customers. 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 50 U.S. states plus the District of Columbia and 10 provinces in Canada.

About Wemo: WeMo is the award-winning home automation ecosystem from Belkin International and the leader in delivering customizable smart home experiences. Designed to be the most approachable entry point to the smart home, WeMo products and partner products empower people to manage, monitor and adjust their electronics, appliances and lighting from anywhere at any time via the free WeMo app. To learn more about WeMo visit wemo.com. Like us on Facebook at Facebook.com/WeMo, and follow us on Twitter at Twitter.com/WeMo.

For further information, please contact:
Jessica Michan
Direct Energy
(713) 805-7306