Televison watching gets more energy efficient!
A first for Western Canada and B.C.: Television watching gets more energy efficient
Vancouver – There are currently more than 1.1 million digital TV boxes (also known as set-top boxes) in B.C. homes and each one could be using more energy than a small refrigerator. Now, for the first time in Western Canada, a significantly more energy smart option is available that uses 30 percent less electricity. If adopted province-wide, the energy-efficient set-top boxes would conserve enough electricity to power almost 6,500 homes for a year.
BC Hydro and TELUS are partnering to offer British Columbians an energy efficient option. TELUS is now offering ENERGY STAR® qualified set-top boxes in B.C. These devices use 30 per cent less electricity than a standard box, and are already being rolled out to TELUS customers. The energy efficient models, manufactured by Cisco, will use less than 180 kilowatt hours of electricity each year – much lower than the 280 kilowatt hours a year consumed by the standard models
“This kind of initiative demonstrates why B.C. is viewed as a climate change leader. The least expensive power is the power we don’t have to produce, namely power saved through conservation. We all need to make conservation a way of life and of doing business,” stated Hon. Rich Coleman, Minister of Energy and Mines.
“I commend TELUS for their leadership. We identified huge energy saving potential in this area: our research tells us that there are, on average, 1.4 digital TV boxes in every home so customers can lower their power bills and make a real difference in the energy consumption province wide simply by making the smart choice,” said Lisa Coltart, executive director of Customer Care and Power Smart for BC Hydro.
New Optik TV customers [in B.C.] can receive a free ENERGY STAR® qualified High Definition PVR offer when signing up for the service on a three year term, to start saving energy right away.
“At TELUS, we’re committed to the communities in which we live, work and serve. We’re continually looking for ways to reduce our impact on the environment on behalf of our customers. We’re very proud to be the first TV provider in western Canada to offer an ENERGY STAR-qualified set top box. It’s an important part of the innovation Optik TV represents,” said Chris Langdon, TELUS vice-president of Consumer Products and Services. “As an ENERGY STAR service provider, TELUS looks forward to continuing to partner with BC Hydro to implement energy saving measures.”
Set-top box facts:
- Set-top boxes gained significant popularity starting in the early 2000s
- The number of households in B.C. owning set-top boxes in 2006 was about 25%. By 2010, that number grew to 50%.
- The number of households with set-top boxes is expected to grow, and the number of boxes per home is also expected to grow.
- Set-top boxes are plugged in and operate around-the-clock to receive data from the television service provider. 70 per cent of the electricity they consume is used while in standby mode.
- Standby electricity use devices such as set-top boxes will become more obvious with smart meters as customers will be able to use feedback tools to monitor their home’s energy use in near real-time.
ENERGY STAR is an international labelling system that helps consumers identify the products that meet or exceed a prescribed level of energy efficiency. Most appliances and many electronics have ENERGY STAR® approved options.
About Optik TV
Optik TV provides never before seen functionality and features as well as more than 500 channels, including over 100 in High Definition (HD). Optik TV is an IPTV based service and features applications like Facebook on TV and remote record, an application that allows Optik TV subscribers to manage their PVR recordings from any Internet connection or select smartphone. One PVR is all you need to provide every digital box in your home the ability to pause, rewind and replay live TV, schedule recordings, access your existing recording and pause a show in one room and pick it up in another room from the same spot. Plus, record up to three shows at once. Optik TV also offers Picture-in-Picture browsing, onscreen Call Display, HD Movies On Demand, and HD Pay Per View, It also features an improved search capability that enables effortless searches for shows and movies by actor, director, show title or sporting event, for immediate viewing or recording in the future. With Optik TV, TELUS customers can even use their Xbox 360 as a digital television box. It’s easier and more flexible than ever. Visit telus.com/optik.
About TELUS
TELUS (TSX: T, T.A; NYSE: TU) is a leading national telecommunications company in Canada, with $10.1 billion of annual revenue and 12.4 million customer connections including 7.1 million wireless subscribers, 3.7 million wireline network access lines and 1.2 million Internet subscribers and more than 400,000 TELUS TV customers. Led since 2000 by President and CEO, Darren Entwistle, TELUS provides a wide range of communications products and services including data, Internet protocol (IP), voice, entertainment and video.
In support of our philosophy to give where we live, TELUS, our team members and retirees will, by year-end 2011, have contributed $245 million to charitable and not-for-profit organizations and volunteered 4.1 million hours of service to local communities since 2000. Eleven TELUS Community Boards across Canada lead TELUS’ local philanthropic initiatives. TELUS was honoured to be named the most outstanding philanthropic corporation globally for 2010 by the Association of Fundraising Professionals, becoming the first Canadian company to receive this prestigious international recognition.
For more information about TELUS, please visit telus.com.
About BC Hydro
Fifty years ago, British Columbians turned to BC Hydro to build the clean electricity system they count on to power B.C.'s economy, create jobs in every region, and keep the lights on. Now, BC Hydro is building again for the next 50 years. B.C. continues to grow and so has the need for more electricity. That’s why BC Hydro is building and renewing electricity infrastructure, and encouraging conservation to meet today’s needs and those of future generations. In 2011, BC Hydro is celebrating 50 years of providing power for British Columbians, and inviting them to help prepare for the next 50 years.
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For more information, please contact:
BC Hydro Media Relations, p. 604 928 6468
Shawn Hall, TELUS Media Relations, p. 604-619-7913