Direct Energy, one of North America's largest retail providers of electricity, natural gas, and home and business energy-related services, announced that it will be extending its Connect to Comfort 24 Plan to both natural gas and power customers in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and the District of Columbia. 

With Connect to Comfort 24, customers will receive the Hive Heating & Cooling plan with the Hive Active Thermostat, enabling them to get clever heating and cooling control anytime, anywhere. Simple and easy to use, customers can control their energy usage and manage their homes more effectively from their smartphone, whether they are at home or on-the-go. With the ability to remotely adjust heating and cooling, coming home to a welcoming environment is ensured. 

"Direct Energy's vision is to connect people with their devices, so they can know more to make informed decisions around their energy usage," said Dung Tran, Head of Retail Energy, Home Protection and Solar at Direct Energy. "Through the Hive connected home experience, our customers will have more insights, choices and control than ever before."  

Connected Home is a key area for growth for parent company Centrica plc, with a  £500m investment to take the Hive brand multi-market.  With over 500,000 customers in the UK, the Hive experience is a leading smart home solution, with more than half of customers using their Hive Active Thermostat at least once daily in the winter, and 75 percent of customers recommended it to others.  

In April, Direct Energy first announced its Connect to Comfort 24 Plan, providing price stability for customers and the energy-saving benefits of the Hive Heating and Cooling plan. The Direct Energy Connect to Comfort 24 Plan was initially launched with offers for residential customers across Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas. 

Direct Energy | www.directenergy.com