Giveaway & Energy Saving Tips for this year's Soccer World Cup

I'm definitely a little bit of a sports nut. You'd be troubled to find a sport that I don't really like or that I haven't played.

Soccer is a big one in my house.  I'm more about the local A-League these days, but when the World Cup is on, everything goes on hold.

1:30am starts aren't unusual for my mornings with the World Cup on.  I've perfected celebrating in quiet so I don't wake wife and child whenever a goal is scored.  My ninja leaping across the couches is so silent and skilful that Mr Miyagi would be proud.

When my team is scored against however, it includes swearwords that would make Eminem shake his head with shame.

But enough about me, I'm here to give stuff away!!

The folks at Origin Energy are giving away 3 x Sunbeam heated throw rugs!  Not only that, they are kindly passing on energy saving tips for this year's World Cup fans that are spending sleep-deprived, late nights glued to the TV trying to stay warm and awake.

For the World Cup fans watching at least two games per night, it's estimated 128 additional hours of TV viewing plus extra heating, use of kettles, coffee machines and mobile devices. This doesn’t have to result in an own goal with your energy bills though.

Here are a list of energy saving tips.

Stay warm

How god damned cold has it been? It may be warm in Brazil, but it is getting colder in Australia.

Origin's tips:

• Rug up in your football jumper, a scarf and slippers
• Heat yourself before you heat the room. An electric throw rug will only cost you around $6 to use through the duration of the Cup.
• If you must use a heater, don’t go for the portable electric kind, they chew through energy. It will cost you nearly double to heat a room with an electric heater (around $67) than it would with a gas heater (around $37) for the duration of the Cup.
• A close game is a good game, so if watching the game with friends or family, sit close to them! Body heat is a cheap and easy way to keep yourself and the room warm!
• Keep the heat in. Shut any curtains and blinds, and close off the room you’re in.

My tips:

• Burn anything Orange.  Those god damned Netherlands beat Aussies in Game 2 and burning things orange not only makes you warmer but happier.
• Take a shot of alcohol every time a shot on goal is missed.  You'll be nice and warm in no time. My preferred morning alcohol is scotch.

Set the mood

Origin's tips:

If the light from the TV doesn’t provide enough mood lighting for you, use compact fluorescent or LED globes in floor or table lamps. They use much less energy than standard 50 Watt halogen down lights, which could cost you up to $30 if kept on during the matches. By comparison a compact fluorescent lamp will only set you back around $6 during the same period.

My tips:

Turn down the volume on the TV and instead play Barry Manilow classics. Nothing lights up the room like the voice of an angel that is Barry.

See the big picture

Origin's tips:

If you’re in the market for a new TV, or weighing up whose house to watch the game at, the latest in LED technology is the way to go. Plasmas cost more than double to run than the same sized LED version, and LCD’s aren’t much better, being only slightly cheaper than today’s Plasmas.

My tips:

Turn your TV off altogether and find a neighbour that is watching the game loud enough for you to hide in the bushes to hear the game.

Staying awake

Origin's tips:

• When making warm drinks, remember to only fill the kettle with the water you intend to use each time. Heating more water than you need is wasteful.
• Alternatively, boil the kettle once and fill a thermos - it not only saves your own energy from having to get up every half an hour...but saves on your energy bills too.

My tips:

• Occasionally do a cart-wheel in your lounge room.  It is a known fact that exercise is a great stimulant to stay awake and cart-wheels are making a comeback.

For more energy efficient tips during the World Cup instead of my silly ones, you can send a tweet using #AskAnne on Twitter or visit Origin Energy.


So now it is giveaway time!  As I said briefly, Origin is kindly giving away to three lucky people a Sunbeam heated throw rug (retail $75).

For your chance to win, simply enter in the comments below your most creative World Cup energy saving tip. Enter your comment below with as little or as many words as you like.

I will be picking the best three.  Give away ends Midnight 29th of June.

Enter as many times as you like, but you can only win once and you must be an Australian resident.

Good luck and may you enjoy the rest of the World Cup with a smaller energy bill!

- tork