Christmas Comes Early for Texas “Get Smart, Go Green!” Sweepstakes Winner

 

Green Mountain Energy Company, smart center Sugar Land and smart center Houston North present Crosby, Texas resident Irma Munoz with new car

 

HOUSTON, TEXAS – Christmas arrived two weeks early this year for Irma Munoz, winner of the “Get Smart, Go Green!” Sweepstakes sponsored by Green Mountain Energy Company and the smart center Sugar Land and smart center Houston North dealerships.  Today, Irma Munoz, a Crosby, Texas resident, was presented with the keys to a brand new 2010 smart fortwo Passion Coupe.

The car, wrapped in a giant red bow, was presented to Munoz today at the Sugar Land Town Center. Green Mountain’s Green Santa; Kelly Brcka, director of Direct Sales for Green Mountain; and James Sparks, brand manager of the smart center Sugar Land, presented Munoz with the keys to the car. Munoz then took the car for its first spin.

Munoz was randomly selected from over 5,600 entrants who entered the “Get Smart, Go Green!” Sweepstakes online or in person at numerous events throughout metro-Houston.  When Munoz’s daughter, a Green Mountain customer, recommended that she make the switch to Green Mountain, Irma went online to investigate her options and happened upon the smart car sweepstakes.  “Winning this car was sheer luck,” said Munoz.  “This has been a tough year; I was just hoping and hoping that I would win something.

With an approximate retail value of $14,690 before taxes, title and license, the smart car definitely qualifies as a valuable win in Munoz’s book.  “I’m amazed at how cute and economical smart cars are,” she said.  “I think I could fill it up with gas and use it all week.  That’s a nice change from my SUV which I fill up almost every other day.”

Munoz said she was considering buying a new car to replace her old, gas-guzzling SUV that has nearly 170,000 miles on it, stating.  “I wanted to get a more fuel efficient car but I was going to wait until the new year.  I don’t have to wait anymore.”

“We’re excited to partner with smart center Sugar Land and smart center Houston North to help someone save money on gas while making a difference for the environment,” said Paul Markovich, President, Residential Services, Green Mountain Energy Company.  “This is our second “Get Smart, Go Green!” Sweepstakes but the satisfaction of making someone’s day is still just as sweet the second time around.”

"There’s no greater thrill than making someone’s holiday wish come true and we are glad that we could be involved in the sweepstakes with Green Mountain,” said James Sparks, Brand Manager of the smart center Sugar Land. “smart has always been about personal expression and environmental consciousness, and smart centers Sugar Land and Houston North are glad to have made this contribution to Irma’s holidays."

The “Get Smart, Go Green!” Sweepstakes began July 1, 2010 and concluded Nov. 14, 2010. Legal residents of the State of Texas 18 years of age and older as of July 1, 2010 were eligible to participate.

The smart fortwo  passion coupe comes equipped with the manufacturer’s standard base model package and limited warranty.  About the smart car’s average of 41 miles per gallon on the highway, Munoz said “It’s going to be a great budget cut.  I know I’ll be talking about your little car for a long time.”  Then she adds with a laugh, “Oh wait, it’s my car now!”

smart fortwo passion coupe’s attributes:

•       One of the most economical cars on the road today

•       Fuel efficient with an EPA estimated 33 mpg in the city and 41 mpg on the highway

•       Meets or exceeds all federal government crash test standards

•       Extremely safe with advanced crash avoidance and crash protection systems

smart fortwo passion coupe standard base model package includes:

•       Panorama roof, alloy wheels

•       Air conditioning with automatic temperature control

•       3-spoke leather sports steering wheel with gear shift paddles

•       Power windows, AM/FM radio with a single CD player

ABOUT the smart fortwo

The smart fortwo is a brand of and is manufactured by Daimler AG.  This technologically advanced vehicle achieves an EPA estimated 41 mpg on the highway and is an ultra-low emissions vehicle, as certified by the State of California Air Resources Board.  The vehicle is 8.8 feet long, 5.1 feet tall and 5.1 feet wide and comes equipped with many functional and safety features found in most luxury models. Smart fortwos are currently sold in 40 other countries, and more than one million smart fortwos have been sold since 1998.  The 2010 smart fortwo is available in three trim levels ranging in price from $11,990* to $16,990*.

*Excludes tax, title, license, registration fees, destination charges, options and other dealer fees.

About Green Mountain Energy Company

Green Mountain, the nation’s leading competitive retail provider of cleaner energy and carbon offset solutions, was founded in 1997 “to change the way power is made.” The company is the longest serving green power marketer in the U.S. Green Mountain offers consumers and businesses the choice of cleaner electricity products from renewable sources, such as wind, as well as a variety of carbon offset products. Green Mountain customers have collectively helped avoid over 11.3 billion pounds of CO2 emissions. As a wholly owned subsidiary of NRG Energy (NYSE:NRG), Green Mountain is backed by one of the nation’s largest renewable power producers.  For more information, visit GreenMountain.com.