CONTACT INFORMATION

Essential.com
www.essential.com

Shell Energy
www.shellenergy.com

BURLINGTON, MA., November 16, 2000 (BUSINESS WIRE)- Essential.com(SM), the Web's Energy and Communications Marketplace, today announced the availability of natural gas services through a relationship with Shell Energy, a subsidiary of Houston-based Shell Oil Company. Essential.com provides a one-stop Marketplace for a broad range of Energy and Communications services, including Energy, Wired & Wireless Telephone services, Internet Access, and Digital Entertainment.

Essential.com, working with Shell Energy, allows customers in the Atlanta Gas Light service area toselect Shell as their natural gas supplier through Essential.com. The Essential.com and Shell Energy partnership provides customers with a convenient, Web-based tool toshop for a reliable source of natural gas from a trusted supplier

Leo Desjardins, Essential.com's Director of Business Development /Energy, commented, "Essential.com is excited towork with Shell, which is widely regarded as the world's most recognized and trusted name in energy. Through our co-branded Essential Services Marketplace, we're able to provide leading suppliers like Shell Energy with a competitive advantage in this rapidly deregulating industry. Our partnership will increase Shell Energy's reach toWeb-savvy customers while Essential.com provides a low cost, online customer acquisition channel for Shell Energy."

Steve Poley, Shell Energy vice president of marketing, noted, "We're excited to Offer our natural gas services online through Essential.com's Marketplace, and place our product offering on their virtual shelves. Additionally, with Shell, Essential.com gains a well-established energy provider, while customers enjoy the opportunity topurchase their natural gas on-line from a trusted brand name."

In addition toNatural Gas, Essential.com customers can shop for a variety of other Essential Services from brand-name providers. By simply typing in their zip code, business and residential customers can locate the company's offerings available in their area. In all 50 states, customers have the opportunity toshop for Long Distance services and Internet access, selecting from a variety of brand-name suppliers, with convenient on-line billing and payment. In some areas, customers may also sign-up toreceive their Electricity, Heating Oil, Propane Gas, and Local Telephone services through Essential.com. Customers nationwide can also select quality Wireless Telephone and Satellite TV products and services that meet their needs.

About Essential.com:
Essential.com is the Web's Energy and Communications Marketplace. The company offers one-stop shopping for a variety of Essential Services needed torun a business or household. Essential.com's on-line Marketplace offers a wide selection of branded Essential Services including Electricity, Heating Oil, Propane Gas, Internet Access, Telephone services and Satellite TV. Essential.com is based in Burlington, Massachusetts and is on the Internet at www.essential.com.

About Shell Energy:
Shell Energy is a subsidiary of Houston-based Shell Oil Company. At Shell Energy, we believe choice and competition are leading the energy industry into the future. We believe these changes bring benefits toconsumers...benefits like lower prices and better service. Shell has many years of experience in the energy business, and we serve over 20 million customers each day at our 9,000 service stations in the U.S. We are confident our history enables us to Offer energy to Customers who want a reliable and responsible service provider. We look forward toserving you as competitive energy marketplaces are established throughout the United States. Shell Energy's url is www.shellenergy.com.

Essential.com is a service mark of Essential.com, Inc. All other trademarks and service marks are the property of their respective owners.

# # #