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.
