Canada's Action on Standby Power

Standby power

Using energy more efficiently is perhaps the easiest and most effective way to control our energy costs, reduce harmful emissions and contribute to our energy security. But it can be difficult to be more energy efficient when you may not be aware you are consuming electricity.

This invisible power consumption is the result of "standby power"  - the term used to describe the electricity products such as televisions, CD players, computers, microwaves, cordless phones and others use even when we've turned them off. Standby power keeps the clocks, timers, remote controls and other features on our home electronics working, and makes sure they are standing by and ready to go the instant we press the button.

These products don't consume a lot of electricity in standby mode, but it does add up – and as more and more household products incorporate electronic features that require standby power, the total is growing. An average Canadian home could have 25 or even more products that use standby power, accounting for as much as 10 percent of annual electricity consumption.

Taking action

Very few of us would want the inconvenience of plugging and unplugging our microwaves and computers and CD players every time we use them - not to mention setting all the clocks - but there are other ways to reduce the energy wasted by standby power.

In most cases, products can be designed so that only a minimal amount of power is required to provide the standby function. As part of its ongoing effort to ensure that the products Canadian consumers buy are among the most energy efficient in the world, Canada has regulated the energy performance of a number of products, including appliances, lighting, and heating and air-conditioning systems since 1995.

Canada's New Government has announced its intention to set minimum performance standards for a new series of products and to make existing standards even more stringent. These new regulations will include, for the first time, standards for the amount of standby power some products are allowed to use.

The benefits of regulating the energy performance of products begin almost immediately, and energy savings and emissions reductions increase over time as more and more aging equipment is replaced with new, more efficient models.

Action Plan for Standby Power

The Government launched the Standby Power Advisory Committee in June of 2007. The Committee is co-chaired by government and industry, and its members represent a broad cross-section of stakeholders, including utility companies, indus2007-09-04ment organizations. This committee gives stakeholders the opportunity to be involved in Canada's efforts to reduce standby power consumption.

A major study of the standby power consumption of consumer electronic products available in Canadian stores is expected to be finished before the end of 2007. A better understanding of the standby power consumption of existing products will help determine the best way to implement the coming regulations and their impact on energy consumption. Experts are also working through the Canadian Standards Association to incorporate international methods for testing the standby power consumption of consumer products into Canadian standards.

Canadians will start enjoying the energy-saving benefits in the very near future. The first regulations for standby power will be put in place in 2008, and an even more stringent standard will follow in 2010.

How much can we save?

Lots. The Government estimates that if all products consuming standby power used only one watt in standby mode, we can save the electricity used by more than 400,000 homes. A typical household would cut its electricity cost by at least $35 a year.

Because of the extensive global trade in products that use standby power, Canada is encouraging other countries, especially its North American trading partners, to adopt similar standards to increase energy savings and provide market consistency for manufacturers.