Direct Energy Employees Make a Difference One Step at a Time

Dallas, Texas (11/18/2011) - What started as a chance for Direct Energy employees to improve their health turned into an opportunity to help residents in their community.

More than 1,700 Direct Energy employees participated in Walktober, a 31-day fitness challenge by the retail electricity provider's wellness provider, Tri Fit. The employees formed groups of four to eight employees and used pedometers to track their progress.

The winning team, Walktoberbest, was comprised by six members of Direct Energy's Ennis, Texas, call center – Mark Barbaree, Colt Craig, Dan Dame, Wendy Frame, Jerry Kirby and April Gainus. They averaged 328 miles per person over the month, beating out teams from across the country.

They won bragging rights and a chance to donate $1,000 to the charity of their choice. Their choice organization was Helping Hands of Ennis, which provides food, shelter and clothing to residents of Eastern Ellis County.

"The team was extremely excited to win this prize and be able to contribute to the community we all work in," said Colt Craig, Walktoberbest's captain. "With the money donated, Helping Hands of Ennis will be able to provide approximately 3,000 meals to needy families during the holidays."

After years of promising himself that he would start working out, Craig gave in to the Walktober challenge. Not only did he develop a workout routine, but stuck with it and has continued exercising. The pounds shed are nothing compared to the energy and motivation he has gained, he said.

"Direct Energy wants all of its employees to be happy at work and, most importantly, happy outside of it," said Jim Steffes, Vice President of Direct Energy. "We believe healthier employees are happier ones. We could think of no other way to reward the winning team than to pass on the chance to make someone else's life a little happier."

The more than 1,700 Direct Energy employees that participated in Walktober walked a combined 132,716 miles, averaging 75.7 miles per person.

About Direct Energy

Direct Energy is one of North America's largest energy and energy-related services providers with over 6 million residential and commercial customer relationships. Through its Direct Energy, CPL Retail Energy and WTU Retail Energy brands, the company is the third-largest retail electricity provider in Texas. It owns three power generation facilities and a series of energy-related services. 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.

For further information, please contact:

Shabina Zakaria
Direct Energy
1-713-877-3611

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