Fact: Home energy consumption drops nearly 5% during the Big Game. Why? Partially because more people are watching TV together instead of individually1. So you can feel good about throwing that Big Game party - and you’ll feel even better when you take on these 6 tips.
1. Watch an energy-efficient TV
- If you’re in the market for a new TV, make sure it’s ENERGY STAR® certified. On average, these models are 25% more energy efficient than others.
- Don’t forget to donate or recycle your old set, if you do buy a new ENERGY STAR® certified TV.
2. Enjoy the food AND keep your carbon footprint small
We all know about eating locavore – but how about buying from companies that produce food and drink with energy efficient or sustainable methods.
- Beer! Dow Jones has a Sustainability index that includes breweries. (Who knew?) For a more local flavor, find a brewery that is energy efficient – like Two Roads Brewery in Stratford. They even use solar to heat water for production.
- Chips, pretzels and fries. It’s not really surprising that a number of food processing plants are becoming energy efficient. You can feel better about all those calories if you know they were made energy efficiently. See if your favorite munchies are listed on ENERGY STAR’s Certified Building and Plant list. You can find some cookie companies listed too!
3. Don’t have it catered
- Those used pizza boxes that pile up can’t be recycled if they’re stained or holding discarded crusts. And those huge plastic party platters mean more recycling for you to do.
- Instead, plan some recipes, shop smart, and DIY.
4. Don’t crank up the heat
- Having guests means your home will get warm naturally - especially if people are cooking, talking, cheering, screaming, and laughing (or crying).
- Set your thermostat at a comfortable temperature, then turn it down 2-3 degrees once your guests arrive.
5. The microwave is your friend
- Heating food with your microwave isn’t just fast, it’s more efficient than using a full-size oven, and usually produces less odor. Also, using the toaster oven is a better use of energy than a full-size one.
- Slow cookers – for your favorite Big Game party chili recipe – are also easy to use, and energy efficient.
6. Set up a recycling system
- Fact: Americans use 2.5 million plastic bottles each hour – and most are thrown away rather than recycled. We can all do a better job at recycling, and your party is a great place to start.
- Set up clearly marked bins for beer cans and bottles, plastics, and composting.
1 Source: Opower.
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