10.07.2008 - 07:35am ET

(CSRwire) SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- Esurance, the direct to consumer auto insurance company, announced its induction into the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Green Power Leadership Club. With the recent purchase of nearly 4 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of wind power, Esurance offset 100% of the electricity used in each of its permanent offices across the United States and joins leading organizations within the U.S. that invest in renewable energy. Esurance's renewable energy certificates (RECs) were purchased from Carbonfund.org and come from wind farms in Texas.

"We are very proud to be recognized by the U.S. EPA for our support of renewable energy sources," said Esurance CEO Gary Tolman. "Purchasing wind power helps our organization become more sustainable, one of our company's strategic long-term goals. American consumers now rightfully expect that companies will do their part to protect our natural resources, which makes supporting clean sources of energy a sound business decision. As an insurance company, we are also well aware of the effects of climate change. Investing in renewable energy sources is an important step in reducing our dependence on energy sources that negatively impact our environment."

The EPA's Green Power Leadership Club is a distinction given to organizations that have significantly exceeded the EPA's minimum purchase requirements and is a part of the EPA's voluntary Green Power Partnership program. Green Power Leadership Club members must purchase ten times the Partnership's minimum requirement organization-wide. Esurance's purchase of green power equates to taking nearly 1000 passenger cars off the road or powering 400 average American homes annually.

Stated EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson, "America is shifting to a 'green culture,' with more and more people understanding that environmental responsibility is everyone's responsibility. The EPA commends Esurance for making a long-term commitment to protecting the environment by purchasing green power."

Concluded Tolman, "By joining the EPA's Green Power Partnership Leadership Club, Esurance joins a great group of companies who are taking steps to help protect our environment by investing in green power."

For more information about all of Esurance's environmental initiatives, please visit: http://www.esurance.com/home/environment.asp

About Esurance(R)
Esurance, a subsidiary of White Mountains Insurance Group, Ltd.
(NYSE: WTM), provides personal car insurance direct to consumers online and through select online agents. Because of Esurance's virtually paperless online customer experience, Esurance car insurance customers have saved thousands of trees since the company's inception. Through the third quarter of 2008, Esurance has also helped plant and maintain approximately 70,000 trees by supporting a variety of urban reforestation programs. Esurance is also committed to safeguarding the environment through its own operational practices, including a hybrid claims fleet and investment in renewable energy sources to augment the electricity used in each of its permanent office locations.

Over the years, Esurance's environmental initiatives have earned the company awards and recognition. In 2008, Esurance received two silver Halo Awards for Best Environmental/Wildlife Campaign and Best Joint Messaging Campaign for Esurance's work with Live Earth on the Save Our Selves (SOS) Campaign. For more information, visit: http://www.esurance.com/home/environment.asp

About Carbonfund.org
Carbonfund.org is one of the country's leading carbon reduction and offset organizations, making it easy and affordable for individuals, businesses, and organizations to reduce their climate impact. Carbon offsets enable individuals and businesses to reduce carbon dioxide emissions they are responsible for in their everyday lives by supporting renewable energy, energy efficiency and reforestation projects where they are most cost effective. Carbonfund.org works with over 700 corporate and nonprofit partners including Esurance, Volkswagen, Amtrak, Dell, Orbitz, Staples, and JetBlue.

About EPA's Green Power Partnership
The Green Power Partnership is a voluntary program that encourages organizations to buy green power as a way to reduce the environmental impacts associated with purchased electricity use. The Partnership currently has hundreds of Partner organizations voluntarily purchasing billions of kilowatt-hours of green power annually. Partners include a wide variety of leading organizations such as Fortune 500 companies, small and medium sized businesses, local, state, and federal governments, and colleges and universities. For additional information, please visit http://www.epa.gov/greenpower.

Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995

The press release may contain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, included or referenced in this release which address activities, events or developments which we expect or anticipate will or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements. The words "will," "believe," "intend," "expect," "anticipate," "project," "estimate," "predict" and similar expressions are also intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include, among others, statements with respect to White Mountains':

• growth in adjusted book value per share or return on equity;
  
• business strategy;
  
• financial and operating targets or plans;
  
• incurred losses and the adequacy of its loss and loss adjustment expense reserves and related reinsurance;
  
• projections of revenues, income (or loss), earnings (or loss) per share,dividends, market share or other financial forecasts;
  
• expansion and growth of our business and operations; and
  
• future capital expenditures.

• the risks associated with Item 1A of White Mountains' 2007 Annual Report on Form 10-K;
  
• claims arising from catastrophic events, such as hurricanes, earthquakes, floods or terrorist attacks;
  
• the continued availability of capital and financing;
  
• general economic, market or business conditions;
  
• business opportunities (or lack thereof) that may be presented to it and pursued;
  
• competitive forces, including the conduct of other property and casualty insurers and reinsurers;
  
• changes in domestic or foreign laws or regulations, or their interpretation, applicable to White Mountains, its competitors or its clients;
  
• an economic downturn or other economic conditions adversely affecting its financial position;
  
• recorded loss reserves subsequently proving to have been inadequate;
  
• other factors, most of which are beyond White Mountains' control.

For more information please contact: