Reliant and Deshaun Watson "Power It Forward" to Houston Habitat for Humanity Homeowners

—Electricity provider to power 25 homes and make them smarter, safer with Nest products—

Building on the "Power It Forward" campaign announced in August with Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson, Reliant is joining forces with Houston Habitat for Humanity to power 25 homes this build season, sponsoring one whole home build with 1,200 volunteer hours and leveraging its relationship as Google's premier energy partner in Texas to outfit the homes with a suite of Nest smart home products.

Twenty-five families will be handed the keys to their new homes in northeast Houston over the next year. Not only will they feel a sense of empowerment and confidence in that moment, but their first year of homeownership will also be made even easier as Reliant "Powers It Forward." This initiative with Houston Habitat for Humanity, a cause important to Watson who benefited from a Habitat home as a child, is one more way the company is supporting the Houston community.

"Reliant has partnerships with one of our city's top athletes as well as leaders in the smart home space, and we're excited to bring together this powerhouse group – Houston Texans' Deshaun Watson and Google – to benefit Houston Habitat for Humanity and 25 deserving homeowners," said Elizabeth Killinger, president of Reliant. "We want the best for our customers and communities, and we are delighted that both Deshaun and Google feel as strongly as we do about making life better for our neighbors."

"Power It Forward" Impact:

• Reliant will power 25 homes for the first year of ownership, offering families a bill credit up to $150 per month. Houston Habitat homes are ENERGY STAR rated, and homeowners benefit from sustainable, energy-efficient design and construction, resulting in reduced energy consumption. Reliant will also power two Houston Habitat ReStore locations for one year, reducing operating costs for the nonprofit's retail stores where sale proceeds help build more homes in Houston.
• Leveraging Reliant's preferred partner agreement with Google, each home will be outfitted with the Nest Secure alarm system starter pack and the Nest Protect smoke and carbon monoxide alarm. As part of Nest's national Power Project with Habitat for Humanity, the homes will also have a Nest Thermostat E. The suite of smart home technology will give families more control of their energy management, while also providing peace of mind knowing their homes are safe and secure.

• Reliant's support of Houston Habitat for Humanity also includes the build of one home with six volunteer days. Reliant will be inviting the public to volunteer at the build site throughout November, and volunteers will be entered to win Houston Texans tickets and memorabilia signed by Deshaun Watson. Visit reliant.com/poweritforward for more details.
• Reliant and Deshaun Watson have also teamed up for the Reliant Texans plan, a 12-month electricity plan that provides a $25 donation split between Houston Habitat for Humanity and the Houston Texans Foundation for every customer that signs up, as well as a Deshaun Watson jersey and an invitation to an exclusive VIP event with the quarterback.

"The generosity of our amazing city has shined this year following Hurricane Harvey, and we are so grateful to Reliant and its collaboration with Google for helping Houston Habitat families through energy savings and technology to make them safer," said Allison Hay, executive director of Houston Habitat for Humanity. "These opportunities alleviate stress and set our families up for even greater success during their first year of homeownership."

Reliant supports local communities all year long through its Reliant Gives initiative, which brings together volunteerism, charitable giving and meaningful partnerships. In 2017, the company donated more than $4 million to organizations across the state, and Reliant employees supported over 100 nonprofits with nearly 8,000 volunteer hours.

About Reliant, an NRG company

Reliant powers, protects and simplifies life by bringing electricity, security and related services to homes and businesses across Texas. Serving customers and the community is at the core of what we do, with Reliant being nationally recognized for outstanding customer service and experience. Reliant is part of NRG Energy, Inc. NRG, a Fortune 500 company that creates value through best-in-class operations and reliable and efficient electric generation. Backed by a diverse portfolio of power generating facilities, NRG's competitive residential electricity business, which includes Reliant, is the largest in the country and powers more than 3 million customers across the U.S. and Canada. For more information about Reliant, please visit reliant.com and connect with Reliant on Facebook at facebook.com/reliantenergy and Twitter or Instagram @reliantenergy. PUCT Certificate #10007.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181009006118/en/