MIAMI, May 10, 2007– Direct Energy, one of North America’s largest energy and energy-related services providers, has upgraded to First Data Utilities’ Peace® 8 Customer Information System (CIS) to manage more than one million retail electricity and gas customers — both residential and commercial — in Ontario, Canada.

With over five million customer relationships across North America, Direct Energy provides customers with choice and support in managing their energy costs through a portfolio of innovative products and services. With operations across Canada, Texas and the northeastern United States, Direct Energy delivered $7.6 billion USD of energy and energy-related services to residential and commercial customers in 2006.

Direct Energy has operated the Peace CIS software product since 2000. The latest version, Peace 8, incorporates hundreds of new features and enhancements and reflects a particular focus on process improvement to lower utility customer cost-to-serve.

“The implementation of Peace 8 enhances our ability to quickly respond to our customers while providing an advantage over competitors with less sophisticated customer information systems,” said Kumud Kalia, CIO and EVP, Customer Operations, Direct Energy.

Chris Warrington, president, First Data Utilities, said, “Since its introduction, the Peace CIS has been at the forefront of commercial off-the-shelf utility CIS, and Direct Energy's smooth upgrade to Peace 8 is testament to the Peace CIS's proven upgrade path, which enables utilities to stay current with technology and features without the costs and risks of customized systems."

About Direct Energy
Direct Energy is one of North America’s largest energy and energy-related services providers with over 5 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 Texas, the northeastern United States and across Canada. To learn more about Direct Energy, visit www.directenergy.com.

About First Data Utilities
First Data Utilities develops top-rated utility billing software and provides outsourced utility billing and payment transaction services. The company offers a wide portfolio of outsourced services spanning the entire meter-to-cash transaction cycle, and is uniquely positioned to combine the best technologies and services — including the top-rated Peace® Customer Information System (CIS) software — in ways that achieve greater efficiency to drive down utility customer cost-to-serve. First Data Utilities is at the forefront of utility software development with its adoption of world-class Agile development techniques and Service Oriented Architecture. First Data has more than 300 utility clients ranging from entrepreneurial new entrant energy retailers to the largest dual-fuel utilities with millions of customers and multiple market operations. For more information, visit www.firstdatautilities.com.

About First Data Corp.
First Data Corp. (NYSE: FDC) is a leading provider of electronic commerce and payment solutions for businesses worldwide. Serving over 5 million merchant locations, 1,900 card issuers and their customers, First Data powers the global economy by making it easy, fast and secure for people and businesses around the world to buy goods and services using virtually any form of payment. The company's portfolio of services and solutions includes merchant transaction processing services; credit, debit, private-label, gift, payroll and other prepaid card offerings; fraud protection and authentication solutions; receivables management solutions; electronic check acceptance services through TeleCheck; as well as Internet commerce and mobile payment solutions. The company's STAR® Network offers PIN-secured debit acceptance at 2 million ATM and retail locations. For more information, visit www.firstdata.com.

Contacts:

Glen Turpin
First Data Corporation
+1.303.967.6552
glen.turpin@firstdatacorp.com

James Braatvedt
First Data Utilities
+64.373.0400 ext. 3639
james.braatvedt@peace.com

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