CROSS COUNTRY HOME SERVICES PARTNERS WITH RELIANT ENERGY
TO PROVIDE HOME SERVICE PRODUCTS

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., and HOUSTON, August 15, 2006 – Cross Country Home Services, Inc. (CCHS) and Reliant Energy have teamed up to provide a unique energy efficiency home service product to Reliant’s customers in the greater Houston area. 

Through this partnership CCHS will offer a regular maintenance program, A/C GuardianSM, to Reliant’s customers. The maintenance program includes yearly inspections of the customer’s air-conditioning system by a pre-qualified heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) technician to ensure that the system is working properly and provide a 15 percent discount off any needed repairs. In addition, Reliant’s customers also will have the opportunity to add additional coverage that pays for most needed repairs, or an air conditioning system replacement if necessary. An improperly maintained air-conditioning system can increase cooling costs by as much as 40 percent. The program will be launched in September.

Reliant Energy recognizes that our customers look to us for solutions to help manage their electricity costs. Air-conditioning can account for 70 percent of a typical summer bill in Texas. Helping our customers to properly maintain their systems can save them hundreds of dollars,” says Glen Stancil, vice president, Houston Residential Market. “We partnered with Cross Country to provide these services because of their years of experience, excellent customer service reputation, and their existing service network in Texas.” 

CCHS adheres to strict levels of customer service and develops customized marketing solutions. Through these programs, CCHS helps build a stronger relationship between its partners and their clients.

“This partnership is another example of our expertise in residential marketing coupled with our existing network of highly qualified HVAC, electrical, plumbing, and appliance contractors,” said Jeff Barnes, director, Utility Group, CCHS.  “The services are a win for everyone and demonstrate Reliant's commitment to providing added value to their customers.”

About Cross Country Home Services
Headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Cross Country Home Services, Inc. (CCHS) is the leader in helping companies drive revenue and customer loyalty through a comprehensive set of home warranties, and home service, homeowner assistance and homeowner emergency assistance plans.  For more than 25 years, CCHS has provided highly flexible, co-branded and private label service programs for major national and regional clients in the financial services, utilities and insurance industries, as well as affinity groups. The company is focused on operational excellence – from client support, service network management and marketing, to customer service operations and brand stewardship – to ensure that its clients’ programs run smoothly and deliver results.  CCHS is a member of the Cross Country Group, one of the largest privately-held providers of customer service programs in the United States.

Reliant Energy
Reliant Energy, Inc. (NYSE: RRI), 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 commercial, industrial, governmental and institutional customers. Reliant also serves commercial, industrial, governmental and institutional customers in the PJM (Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Maryland) market. The company is one of the largest independent power producers in the nation with approximately 16,000 megawatts of power generation capacity in operation across the United States. These strategically located generating assets utilize natural gas, fuel oil and coal. For more information, visit http://www.reliant.com/corporate