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Obsession with personal electronics is changing our electricity consumption

VANCOUVER ISLAND, B.C. – BC Hydro released a new report with findings that our addiction to personal electronics has resulted in a 150% increase in electricity use from small electronics since 1990.

“Over the past decade, there has been a dramatic shift in how people use power in their homes. The popularity of small personal electronics – like smartphones, laptops and tablets – is driving this trend,” said Chris O’Riley, BC Hydro’s president and chief operating officer. He added that individually, personal devices don’t consume a lot of power but when taken together, household electricity use from various electronics increased from 7% to 17% since the early 1990s.

According to a release, the report also found more than three-quarters of British Columbians own a smartphone and spend an average of 4.7 hours a day on their device.

A recent survey by BC Hydro also showed how addicted British Columbians to their personal devices are:

  • Nearly a third of British Columbians aged 18-24 would give up heating on a cold day before giving up their smartphone.
  • Over a quarter of British Columbians would give up seeing their spouse/partner for a day instead of giving up their electronics for 24 hours.
  • Two thirds of British Columbians would rather give up coffee for two days than their smartphone for the same time frame.
  • Over a quarter of British Columbians aged 18-34 would rather give up their salary for a day than their smartphone for the same time frame.

BC Hydro is offering rebates and deals on select energy-efficient products to help residents reduce household electricity use. For more information, visit powersmart.ca.

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