Football season is upon us, and if you’re a fan, you’re probably getting plenty of quality time in front of the television. What’s that TV time costing you, though? Nope, I’m not talking about fancy packages you’re buying from the cable or satellite company, nor am I thinking of the grief you’re getting for watching football. I’m thinking about the electricity you burn while watching those games… especially if you’ve got a monster television with a super hi-def picture.
Yep, TVs use electricity: you knew that. You may not realize quite how much, though. If you decided that you were going all out this season for a high-end television that would wow your buddies on game day, you may be wow-ing yourself when the electricity bill arrives: a big-screen plasma television can suck down a tremendous amount of juice.
You can still get a sweet TV without blowing out the utility bill, though – you just need to know what to look for when you’re shopping. To make sure you’re well-informed, Energy Forward (an initiative of the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA) in collaboration with Northwest utilities, ENERGY STAR and retail partners) launched “Are You Fan Enough?” today, a Facebook-based contest that allows Northwesterners to show their team pride while also learning how to make more efficient choices when shopping for televisions.
Entering is pretty simple: if you live in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, or Washington, just choose the college team match-up for which you’d like to have a monster tailgate party. The winner gets just that, complete with “a catered RV, big screen TVs, snuggies and 10 tickets to the game.” Their are also weekly prizes, including Energy Forward TVs. You can enter either at the contest’s Facebook page, or by scanning a QR code at Best Buy and Sears stores in the Northwest.
Not buying a new TV this year? No problem – there are still plenty of ways to get the most efficiency out of the model you’ve currently got. Share your own tips and tricks with us, and let us know if you enter the contest.
Image credit: Energy Forward