Energy Forward Continues "Are You Fan Enough" Campaign Highlighting Most Energy-Efficient Televisions in Oregon

PORTLAND, Ore., Oct. 22, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Energy Forward opened voting for college football fans in Oregon as part of the "Are You Fan Enough" campaign, encouraging Northwest residents to look for the "Most Efficient" sticker when shopping for new TVs. Energy Forward is an initiative of the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA) in collaboration with Northwest utilities, ENERGY STAR and retail partners.

By entering "Are You Fan Enough" on Facebook or at Best Buy and Sears retail locations, consumers have the chance to win one of four ultimate VIP college football tailgate packages or an Energy Forward 52-inch TV. VIP tailgate packages include 10 tickets to see the winner's favorite college team play a home game in Idaho, Montana, Oregon or Washington and a tailgate party featuring Energy Forward TVs and an Energy Forward RV catered with food, refreshments and Snuggies®. The Oregon Matchup of Corvallis vs. Eugene launches with voting on Facebook at http://bit.ly/areufanenough starting at 12:01 AM PDT on October 22, 2012 and ending at 11:59 PM PST on November 5, 2012.

"The 'Are You Fan Enough' campaign is a fun way to help consumers learn about TVs that are engineered to provide the best performance while also saving energy—a winning combination for any sports fan," said Ty Stober, market transformation initiative lead at NEEA. "The Northwest Power and Conservation Council estimates some of the biggest energy savings over the next 20 years could come from more Northwest residents choosing super-efficient televisions."

Consumers can enter "Are You Fan Enough" by "rushing" to the campaign Facebook page at http://bit.ly/areufanenough or by scanning a QR code located in electronics departments at Northwest Best Buy and Sears locations. Entrants can vote for a tailgate party at one of two universities located within each of the four Northwest states. Voting for each of these matchups will last two weeks during the months of October and November. At the end of each of the four voting periods, one winner who voted for the team that received the most votes in each state matchup will be randomly selected to win a grand prize VIP tailgate package.  Every entrant will also be entered to win additional prizes, including one of four Energy Forward TVs or additional game tickets.

The goal of Energy Forward is to accelerate market adoption of advanced energy-efficient televisions by incentivizing retailers to stock and sell TVs that are engineered to be the most efficient of ENERGY STAR. These TVs are at least 20 to 35 percent more efficient than other energy-efficient products and are marked with a "Most Efficient" sticker at Best Buy, Costco, Kmart, Sam's Club, Sears, Target, Walmart and independent electronics stores throughout the Northwest. According to the Northwest Power & Conservation Council, a region-wide shift to the most efficient TVs has the potential to save enough energy to power more than 290,000 homes each year.

"Northwest utilities are the real heroes here," continued Stober. "They are leading not just the region, but the entire nation by collaborating on energy efficiency efforts like Energy Forward."

Since the Energy Forward TV initiative launched in the Northwest in 2009, TVs are now almost 60 percent more efficient.

Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington residents can vote in any one of the four state matchups.

"Are You Fan Enough" scheduled sweepstakes voting periods:

• The Montana Matchup: Missoula vs. Bozeman launches at 12:01 AM MDT on October 1, 2012 and ends at 11:59 PM MDT on October 15, 2012 – CLOSED
• The Idaho Matchup: Moscow vs. Boise launches at 12:01 AM MDT on October 8, 2012 and ends at 11:59 PM MDT on October 22, 2012.
• The Washington Matchup: Seattle vs. Pullman launches at 12:01 AM PDT on October 15, 2012 and ends at 11:59 PM PDT on October 29, 2012.
• The Oregon Matchup: Eugene vs. Corvallis launches at 12:01 AM PDT on October 22, 2012 and ends at 11:59 PM PST on November 5, 2012.

"Are You Fan Enough" winner announcement dates:

• Montana Matchup winner drawn - October 17, 2012
• Idaho Matchup winner is drawn - October 24, 2012
• Washington Matchup winner is drawn - October 31, 2012
• Oregon winner Matchup is drawn - November 7, 2012

"Are You Fan Enough" grand prize games and ultimate tailgate parties:

• Montana game is October 27, 2012
• Idaho game is November 3, 2012
• Washington game is November 10, 2012
• Oregon game is November 17, 2012

For more information on "Are You Fan Enough": bit.ly/areufanenough

About the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance
The Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA) is a non-profit organization working to accelerate energy efficiency to meet our future energy needs. NEEA is supported by and works in collaboration with the Bonneville Power Administration, Energy Trust of Oregon and more than 100 Northwest utilities on behalf of more than 12 million energy consumers. NEEA uses the market power of the region to accelerate the innovation and adoption of energy-efficient products, services and practices. Since 1997, NEEA and its partners have saved enough energy to power almost 600,000 homes each year. Energy efficiency can satisfy more than half of our new demand for energy, saving money and keeping the Northwest a healthy and vibrant place to live. www.neea.org

SOURCE Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance