Ottawa - New legislation passed yesterday in the House of Commons will make it possible for the government to do more to manage wasted electricity. Minister of Natural Resources Lisa Raitt, heralded the passing of the government’s amendments to the Energy Efficiency Act, which will solidify Canada's position as an international leader in energy-efficiency standards for standby power.

"These amendments to the Energy Efficiency Act make Canada a leader on the world stage in regulating standby power," said Minister Raitt. "This legislation is further proof of our Government’s commitment to helping Canadians decrease their energy costs and helping industry improve energy performance."

With this legislation, Canada will have legislative authority to introduce comprehensive standards to regulate the amount of standby power consumed by many products - such as computers, battery chargers, CD players and televisions - when they are not in use. By regulating standby power, according to the government enough electricity will be saved to power more than 300,000 Canadian homes each year, reducing the average household’s electricity consumption by three to five per cent.

These amendments also allow for energy-efficiency standards to be established for additional products that affect energy consumption, including windows and doors, as well as thermostats and other energy-system control devices.

For tips on using less standby power in the house click here.

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