As GDF SUEZ Energy UK celebrates the 10th Anniversary of its introduction of the groundbreaking flexible purchasing model to the UK energy markets, it says innovation and flexibility are more important than ever in the current economic climate.

It has now announced the launch of enhanced flexible purchasing options to businesses that could not previously access such products. The move means GDF SUEZ Energy UK customers consuming from 10 GWh annually can now access flexible purchasing at a market price and/or at a day-ahead price. The product enables them to make transactions in multiples of a tenth of a MW or in full MWs.

Meanwhile GDF SUEZ Energy UK’s packages for larger businesses have also been improved, meaning they can now also set reference volumes in units of a tenth of a MW, leaving them able to more closely match purchases to specific demand.

Andy Cooper, Head of Sales at GDF SUEZ Energy UK said: “Businesses want their purchasing options to be as flexible as possible as this allows them to be able to spread their purchasing across the year to help them manage market volatility. Our flexible purchasing options were introduced ten years ago to the UK market in order to allow businesses to be less exposed to changing energy prices, and better placed to manage their energy spend alongside their risk management strategy.

“This approach is so popular and so successful, that we have seen demand growing for a similar solution amongst a far wider range of our customers. Benefiting from detailed, expert knowledge of the energy markets is no longer purely for the largest businesses and we are delighted to be able to bring this innovation to the marketplace. Ten years after GDF SUEZ Energy UK launched the first ever flexible electricity product in the UK, we continue to innovate, develop and evolve our offering to ensure we stay at the forefront of the market, offering a highly flexible product range to meet the needs of industrial and commercial businesses of all sizes.”

GDF SUEZ Energy UK has launched the project by joining the Institute of Customer Service, which works with its members to provide best practice advice and to help raise service standards for the benefit of customers.

GDF SUEZ Energy UK will be starting with a specifically designed self-assessment employee survey, with a customer satisfaction survey following closely afterwards. The findings of the surveys will be collated and will form the basis of developing action plans for improving customer service, in collaboration with the Institute of Customer Service.

Progress made against the action plans will be monitored via future surveys and will allow GDF SUEZ Energy UK to work towards achieving the Institute's ServiceMark accreditation – a customer service industry standard.

David Park, Director of UK Retail at GDF SUEZ Energy UK, said: 'For our customers, Institute membership provides reassurance that delivering the highest levels of service is a primary focus for us, and that we will be striving to improve our service levels every year. By completing our customer satisfaction surveys, customers will also be able to provide feedback and help us identify areas for improvement.

'We're serious about delivering on our vision of providing an outstanding customer experience, so membership of the Institute is perfect for us. As an independent body, it enables us to benchmark our performance against recognised standards and other companies, as well as giving us action plans for improvement.

"We intend to put as many employees as possible through the Institute's training programmes, and key individuals will have the opportunity to further develop through taking Institute's own professional qualifications.'

The Institute of Customer Service is the national independent professional body for customer service, with more than 370 organisational members and over 7,000 individual memberships.

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The facility is currently under construction and is scheduled to achieve commercial operation in 2014. The PPA provides GDF SUEZ Energy UK with all of the electricity output, along with Levy Exemption Certificates generated by the facility until 2029.

The state-of-the-art energy-from-waste facility has a capacity of up to 256,000 tonnes of waste per year, which will generate electricity for the equivalent of around 30,000 homes. It significantly reduces the reliance on landfill, and will achieve green-house-gas emissions reductions totaling approximately 62,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent per year.

David Park, Director of UK Retail at GDF SUEZ Energy UK said 'We are extremely pleased to have concluded this PPA with SITA UK as it demonstrates our commitment to diversify our energy mix and provides us with a reliable and consistent renewable energy resource for our customers.'

SITA UK's Andy Stokes said, 'At Billingham we will take a once-wasted commodity and turn it into a long-term, reliable source of low carbon energy, which is a major plus for the environment.'

28% of its total supply from April 2010 to March 2011 came from renewable generation – a 10% increase on the previous year's figure of 18%.

This level of renewables is almost four times the UK average of 7.9%, and is also significantly higher than the 'Big Six' energy suppliers.

David Park, Director of UK Retail, comments: 'These latest figures demonstrate that we are working hard to continually increase the proportion of renewable energy in our portfolio in order to meet the growing demand from our industrial and commercial customers.'

The fuel mix information details how the energy GDF SUEZ Energy UK supply has been generated in the previous year from each fuel source – such as coal, natural gas, renewable and nuclear energy – and compares its fuel mix with the average for the UK. The company has been extremely successful in sourcing large quantities of renewable energy, mainly from Wind, Biomass and Hydroelectric sources.

FUEL MIX DISCLOSURE STATEMENT for the period 1 April 2010 to 31 March 2011.

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Recent fundraising efforts from the company raised over £12,500 for the company's nominated charity, Yorkshire Cancer Research. In celebration, David Park, Retail Director at GDF SUEZ Energy UK presented a cheque to Mark Stevens, Chief Executive at the Charity.

On behalf of Yorkshire Cancer Research Mark Stevens said: "I wish to thank everyone at GDF SUEZ Energy UK for their very generous donation. The company is a long-standing supporter of Yorkshire Cancer Research and it's only due to the kind support we receive from such local businesses that we're able to continue funding vital research into cancer in Yorkshire and help make medical breakthroughs."

Thanking those whose generosity and hard work has helped to raise the money, David Park, Retail Director at GDF SUEZ Energy UK said: "The chance to secure a donation for a local charity close to their hearts has really encouraged staff to put in a huge effort to raise the money for Yorkshire Cancer Research.
'I never cease to be amazed at the generosity and enthusiasm that everyone puts in to the fundraising, particularly as we know it has been a financially challenging couple of years for many people. A fantastic achievement to be proud of!'

All the money raised will be spent in Yorkshire helping local people beat cancer and supporting research, diagnosis and treatment in the region. The efforts of fundraisers like GDF SUEZ Energy UK and the general public are crucial in supporting Yorkshire Cancer Research and the vital research which investigates the cause of cancer and the development of more effective treatments.

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Issued on behalf of GDF Suez Energy UK by Adessi

For more information contact Sarah Beckett at Adessi on

Tel: +44 (0) 7818 531 388

Email: sarah.beckett@adessi.co.uk

Notes to Editors:

GDF Suez Energy UK

Leeds-based GDF SUEZ Energy UK is well established as a specialist energy supplier to industry and commerce across the UK, as well as a growing player in the electricity generation arena. Offering an innovative range of energy supply products to meet the requirements of all types of businesses the company are constantly developing new products and adapting its services to meet their needs. To learn more about GDF SUEZ please visit: http://www.gdfsuez-energy.co.uk/

Yorkshire Cancer Research

Yorkshire Cancer Research is Yorkshire's cancer charity. Every penny we raise we spend in Yorkshire, helping local people beat cancer and supporting world-class research, diagnosis and treatment in our region. We work throughout Yorkshire and we benefit Yorkshire people, in addition to sharing our findings to improve the lives of people everywhere. For more information visit www.yorkshirecancerresearch.org.uk

EBITDA : EUR 5.5 billion (+6.1%)
Net debt: EUR 39.9 billion (-EUR 2.9 billion1)

Revenues in the first quarter of 2011 are up by nearly +7% thanks to strong international growth, to integration of International Power as of February 1, 2011 and to sharp rise in environment activities, despite weather conditions that were less favorable than in the first quarter of 2010.

EBITDA for the period reaches EUR 5.5 billion, for a gross increase of +6.1% in comparison with March 31, 2010. Based on average weather conditions², organic growth comes at +4.3%. The increase in EBITDA reflects the contribution of International Power as of February 2011, commissioning of facilities in all of the Group's businesses, including Montoir and Combigolfe power plants in France, Flevo in the Netherlands, Heron II in Greece, France Fos Cavaou and Chile Mejillones LNG terminals, and the Gj

The combined business creates a global leader in independent power generation with over 66,000MW of gross capacity in operation and committed projects expected to deliver 22,000MW of gross capacity by 2013, with strong positions in major regional markets and an attractive growth profile.

Sir Neville Simms, Chairman of International Power said: 'The completion of this transaction creates a high growth, world leading independent power generation company. This is a major milestone in the development of International Power. The enlarged group has a strong pipeline of committed new-build projects already in the course of construction, and enhanced access to further significant growth opportunities through its broader global presence. The group has a robust capital structure with improved access to attractively priced capital that will underpin the delivery of value enhancing growth for all shareholders."

Gerard Mestrallet, Chairman and CEO of GDF SUEZ said: 'I am very pleased and proud we have successfully combined our activities with International Power. Together we have created a unique Group with highly skilled people. International Power offers an attractive growth profile with an unparalleled and balanced portfolio of assets. Our new Group is ideally positioned in the regions where 80% of tomorrow's new production capacities needs will occur.'
This is a truly defining transaction for GDF SUEZ, illustrating its philosophy and strategy of long-term development based on industrial partnerships. It consolidates the international leadership of GDF SUEZ in the global utilities sector, moving the Group into first place in terms of annual revenue (over €84 billion in 2009). It also makes GDF SUEZ the n

The contracts, with supply periods of up to 5 years, have been won against intense competition and display the flexibility and innovation for which GDF SUEZ Energy UK have become renowned.

Julian Okoye, Wessex Water, said, 'We chose GDF SUEZ Energy UK to be our energy supplier because they demonstrated to us how they could deliver an innovative and efficient energy service. Not only could they give us competitive prices for the duration of our contract, they also impressed us with their high level of customer responsiveness, their willingness to accommodate our specific requirements and their flexible and transparent contracts.'

Marc Hirt, President of GDF SUEZ Western Europe and CEO of GDF SUEZ Energy UK said, 'GDF SUEZ Energy UK is very proud of its achievements in the water sector. Our success has to be attributed to our high degree of flexibility which allowed us to meet the customer's expectations. This, coupled with our high standard of professionalism and expertise, meant that we could ensure that the whole deal was put together to the satisfaction of all parties.'

On 31 March 2010, control of the eight turbines was handed over from the turbine supplier, Nordex, and full commercial operation of the wind farm was started. This project demonstrates the commitment of GDF SUEZ to renewable energy in the UK. The GDF SUEZ Group is France's No. 1 wind power producer and is developing
major projects in Europe and across the world.

'We are very proud of the successful completion of the project. The UK is an important market for GDF SUEZ to develop, especially in renewable energy, and we see Craigengelt as an important step in the development of GDF SUEZ in the UK' Marc Hirt, President GDF SUEZ Energy Western Europe and CEO of GDF SUEZ Energy UK.

Contact Details:-
Kate Bond
GDF SUEZ Energy UK
1 City Walk
Leeds
LS11 9DX

0113 306 2077
07736 107151