Reliant Energy™ announced that eight Houston-area high school student athletes will each receive a $1,000 scholarship as part of the company's "Scholarship for Champions -- Powering Strong Minds and Bodies" program.

"The scholarship winners have each demonstrated exceptional leadership skills in academics and athletics," said Tracy Carmen-Jones, vice president, Reliant Energy™ Community Marketing. "We are thrilled to recognize these eight deserving student athletes and to help them achieve the goals they have set out to accomplish on and off the field."

Each recipient is required to maintain good academic standing and display ethics and leadership qualities to be eligible for the program. The eight students were selected by Reliant™ and the Houston Texans, and will receive a surprise visit by a Texans player at their school to present the award. They will also have the opportunity to participate in a pre-game ceremony during the Texans' season, and as honorees at the Houston Texans Draft Luncheon.

Reliant Energy™, based in Houston, provides electricity and energy services to retail and wholesale customers in the United States. In Texas, the company provides service to approximately 1.9 million retail electricity customers, including residential and small business customers and large commercial, industrial, governmental and institutional customers.

For a list of the scholarship recipients and their accomplishments, please see the Reliant Energy™ press release.

Reliant Energy™ is partnering with the City of Houston Multi-Service Centers (MSCs) again this summer to support eight community locations where Houstonians can go when the temperature climbs.

The eight Reliant Energy™ Beat the Heat Centers will operate 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, June 21 through Sept. 28. The centers are created to provide a cool place for energy-conscious Houstonians who want to positively impact their electricity bill by minimizing their homes' air-conditioning usage and visiting the cooling centers during the heat of the day.

Reliant Energy™ Beat the Heat Center locations:

Acres Homes MSC 6719 W. Montgomery Road
Fifth Ward MSC 4014 Market St.
Kashmere MSC 4802 Lockwood St.
Magnolia MSC 7037 Capitol St.
Southwest MSC 6400 High Star Drive
Sunnyside MSC 4605 Wilmington St.
Third Ward MSC 3611 Ennis St.
West End MSC 170 Heights Blvd.

Each Reliant Energy™ Beat the Center will include adult and youth games, movies, snacks and water. Once a month, through its PowerHouse Program, Reliant Energy™ will provide Beat the Heat Center participants with a brief home energy efficiency workshop, as well as the opportunity for Reliant Energy™ customers to visit with Reliant™ customer care advisors to better understand how to read their Reliant Energy™ bills. For specific information on these sessions or to schedule free rides to and from the Beat the Heat Centers, interested participants can call 713-497-2711.

"Our customers are looking for ways to maximize their energy dollar," said Tracy Carmen-Jones, vice president, Reliant Energy™ Community Marketing. "The Reliant Energy™ Beat the Heat Centers allow energy-conscious Houstonians, as well as the elderly and residents on a fixed income, to conserve energy during the hottest times of the day by visiting the centers. We believe providing customers with options like the Beat the Heat Centers is what retail competition is all about."

For more details, check out the Reliant Energy™ press release.

Residents in select Texas cities will be able to pick up one free compact fluorescent light (CFL) at designated Home Depot locations, while supplies last, Saturday, April 28 as part of Reliant Energy's™ new Compact With Texas campaign.

This week, in honor of Earth Day and to focus awareness on energy efficiency, Reliant Energy™ announced its Compact With Texas campaign with Mayor Bill White in Houston, Mayor Raul Salinas in Laredo and with the Chamber of Commerce in Corpus Christi. As part of the program, Reliant™ is distributing 6,000 free CFLs through select Home Depot locations. The first 500 bulbs were handed out at the City of Dallas' EarthFest celebration last Friday.

"The Compact With Texas campaign is another effort that demonstrates Reliant Energy's™ commitment to energy efficiency," said Janie Mitcham, Reliant Energy™ senior vice president who will lead the company's energy efficiency and "smart energy" programs. "Reliant Energy™ will continue to offer programs and pricing plans to help Texans conserve energy, and even the smallest of energy efficiency improvements can make a difference in the environment and an electric bill."

In Houston, 3,000 free CFLs will be distributed—one per family and first come, first served —with 1,500 distributed in Corpus Christi and 1,000 in Laredo. All those taking a bulb will be asked to informally pledge to "create a better Texas for tomorrow by switching at least one incandescent light bulb in their home to a compact fluorescent bulb this year."

Reliant Energy™ also took its program to students in the Houston, Corpus Christi and Laredo school districts, where it asked youth to pledge to be "energy efficiency ambassadors" in their homes by turning off lights and household appliances when they are not being used. Company representatives were joined at the school rallies at Blackshear Elementary in Houston, Windsor Park Elementary in Corpus Christi and Tarver Elementary in Laredo by Baby Jay, a Houston-based youth rapper, and the mascots of the Houston Texans and Corpus Christi Hooks.

Click on the map to find a participating Home Depot near you or check out the Reliant Energy™ press release for more information.

The Houston Department of Health and Human Services and Reliant Energy™ recently announced a program that will fund home energy efficiency improvements for up to 900 Reliant Energy™ customers as part of a larger consumer awareness and education program.

The Reliant Energy™ PowerHouse Program will fund about 900 energy efficiency home repairs for low-income Reliant Energy™ customers in select areas throughout Houston. The program offers a stair-step educational approach, meaning Reliant Energy™ customers must attend an energy efficiency awareness workshop and bill review session to qualify for the energy efficiency home improvements.

Low-income Reliant Energy™ customers in select ZIP codes should receive an information package indicating they are eligible to participate in the home improvement program.

Although the home improvements are available for Reliant Energy™ customers, the energy efficiency awareness workshops are open to anyone in the Greater Houston area. The energy efficiency workshops and bill review sessions will be offered through five HDHHS Multi-Service Centers, including Acres Homes, Denver Harbor, Kashmere, Southwest and Sunnyside. Residents can call the center closest to them for dates and times of the energy efficiency and bill review workshops.

"Reliant Energy™ is committed to helping consumers make the most of their energy dollar," said Tracy Carmen-Jones, vice president, Reliant Energy™ Community Involvement. "The smallest energy efficiency home improvements, such as replacing weather stripping around doors and windows, can help lower electric bills and reduce overall consumption."

"The Houston Department of Health and Human Services is excited to launch the PowerHouse Program with Reliant Energy™ through our Multi-Service Centers," said Stephen Williams, director, HDHHS. "The energy efficiency awareness aspect of the program, as well as the funding for energy efficiency home improvements, will be increasingly important for consumers
as the summer months approach."

For more information, check out the Reliant Energy™ press release.

Last month, Reliant Energy™ announced a convenient new service designed to help its customers avoid waiting on hold during peak call times.

The new call-back service option helps ensure callers receive optimal service when contacting Reliant Energy™ call centers. During unexpected busy call periods, this service provides customers with an option to request a return call without waiting on hold and to receive a call-back as promptly as if they had remained on line because their place is maintained in the calling queue. Customers also can schedule an appointment to speak with a representative at a specific time up to seven days in the future.

The new call-back technology already is available at more than 80 percent of Reliant Energy's™ call centers with plans to expand. To date, about 50 percent of customers who have been offered the option have taken advantage of the service.

"Consumers in the deregulated electricity market have a choice of providers, and our commitment is to provide exceptional customer service. We believe that convenient service options provide Texans with choices that go beyond pricing when they decide on a retail energy provider," said Matthew Benner, senior vice president, Reliant™ Retail Marketing and Operations. "Customer choice drives innovation, and we're pleased to be one of the first major electricity providers in Texas to offer this service."

The new call-back technology was developed by Virtual Hold Technology, based in Akron, Ohio. The option is one of many customer-service enhancements Reliant Energy™ provides to its 1.9 million customers, offering consumers convenience and flexibility in conducting business through Reliant's™ customer care center. The company says it is proud of its "Texans Serving Texans" philosophy, with all of its customer care centers located in Texas and its 1,000 customer care representatives available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to address customer requests and help consumers choose pricing plans to meet their needs.
In addition to the call-back feature, Reliant Energy™ says it offers other options for customers to easily do business with the company, including a range of online services, services in person through payment centers and services in Spanish.

If you are interested in switching to Reliant Energy™ to take advantage of this new service, click here to switch now.