Comcast and Canada-based Crius Energy have struck a five-year strategic partnership that will pave the way for them to jointly offer an “Integrated Energy Platform” to service providers across the U.S.

Together the companies will “create a turnkey energy service platform to allow third party service providers to offer their own customers energy services,” a Comcast spokeswoman said via email.

She said the platform/program will be based on the Energy Rewards model that Comcast and Crius are using today.

Following a pilot program, Comcast relaunched the Energy Rewards program in 2015, with Crius Energy on board as a new partner. Initially available to Comcast customers in Pennsylvania and Illinois, Energy Rewards offers special rates and rebates options for home energy plans, plus added perks from the MSO that has included three free months to premium video services like HBO and Showtime. However, consumers do not need to be a Comcast customer to enroll in the Energy Rewards program.

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Per the current FAQ about Energy Rewards, Everyday Energy, a subsidiary of Crius Energy, is supplying the service under the program with Comcast. Other states referenced in the Energy Rewards FAQ include New Jersey, Texas and California.

Comcast and Crius said they expect to formally launch the Integrated Energy Platform in the second half of 2017, and that they aim to provide “a  holistic home energy solution that combines, among other products, electricity, natural gas and solar.”

They haven’t announced any service providers that will use the new turnkey offering, but said they expect to welcome their first participants to the program in the coming weeks.

"Based on the significant progress of our current relationship, Crius looks forward to partnering with Comcast in the coming years to advance and expand the energy platform we have built together," Michael Fallquist , CEO of the Trust and Crius Energy, said in a statement.  "We have seen a growing number of Comcast customers benefit from the value provided by energy choice through bundled service solutions, and we are excited to expand our reach by welcoming new partners who can help bring this value to more customers across the nation."

After halting enrollments for an “Energy Rewards” pilot earlier this year in Pennsylvania, Comcast has relaunched the initiative with a new partner, Crius Energy, while also expanding the offering to Xfinity customers in Illinois.

Marketing for the commercial debut of Energy Rewards started on April 16, and is currently available to Comcast customers in Pennsylvania and Illinois, according to a Comcast spokesperson. 

Similar in some ways to the program Comcast tested with Independence Energy Group in Pennsylvania, the newly launched version of Energy Rewards supports two service options with 24-month terms:

-SafeSwitch Fixed: Offers a lock-in rate for 24 months, plus a $100 savings rebate if the customer does not save money over the terms of the plan. Comcast noted that this tier is for customers looking for long-term price certainty. Customers taking the SafeSwitch Fixed tier are subject to a $100 early termination fee.

-SafeSwitch Flex: Starts at a rate 5% below the local utility’s current supply rate, and a guaranteed rate cap. Comcast said this is for consumers looking for lower rates, plus longer-term price protection. After the 24-month term, customers on the “Flex” tier will be notified of renewal plan options.

As the FAQ points out, Comcast is not selling of electricity and natural gas, but has partnered with Everyday Energy, a licensed supplier that is a wholly owned subsidiary of Crius Energy. Comcast subs who opt for Energy Rewards will continue to receive their energy bills from the local utility.

While the financial terms of Comcast’s agreement with Crius Energy are not known, the program puts a different spin on the service bundle, and could serve as a customer retention tool. 

A Comcast bill insert distributed in Pennsylvania about the program notes that Energy Rewards is available for customers of Met-Ed, PECO, Penelec, Penn Power, PPL and West Penn Power. ComEd is one of the known energy suppliers that are supporting the Energy Rewards program in Chicago.

Energy Rewards customers are also eligible for “Comcast rewards on a periodic basis,” which could include free movie tickets and other “perks” from the MSO.  In the early going, Comcast is offering Xfinity TV subs who sign up for Energy Rewards three free months of HBO, Showtime or Cinemax.

Comcast began to pilotthe Energy Rewardsprogram last yearwith Independence Energy Group, a unit of NRG Energy, offering fixed and variable energy plans that included perks such as prepaid Visa cards, discounted movie tickets via Fandango (the service Comcast acquired in 2007), and three months of HBO, Showtime, or Starz. The pilot program also featured periodic, six month “milestone” rewards that included free movie tickets, and Smart Thermostats for customers who were taking Comast's Xfinity Home security/home automation service.

During the initial pilot, Comcast and Independence Energy Group limited the program to areas served by Duquesne Light, which covers portions of Allegheny County near Pittsburgh and Beaver County.

Comcast cited “upcoming changes” when it halted new enrollments in the program earlier this year, noting then that NRG and Comcast had mutually agreed to no longer market the program to existing Comcast customers. Comcast also said it was “evaluating our options.”