Photo courtesy CBC.
A new report from BC Hydro says up to a third of the province’s residents would rather not contact their partner for a day than give up using their smartphone over the same period.
That is among the survey findings that BC Hydro President and Chief Operating Officer Chris O’Riley says highlights how the popularity of small personal electronics, like smartphones, tablets and laptops, has helped shift the use of power in B.C.
In a release Thursday morning, O’Riley said household electricity has increased up to 17 per cent in less than 30 years and the Crown-owned utility says small personal devices has prompted power use to spike 150 per cent since 1990.
The survey of 400 British Columbians revealed over a quarter of residents between the ages of 25 and 54 would give up contact with their partner instead of a smartphone for 24 hours, which goes up to a third for those between the ages of 55 and 64.
The report found more than 75 per cent of British Columbians own a smartphone and are on it, on average, 4.7 hours a day.
Nearly a third of respondents said they would take their personal electronics over heating their home on a cold winter day, while about 20 per cent admits to taking their device to bed.
That number is 70 per cent for people between the ages of 18 and 24.
BC Hydro says with the amount British Columbians pay for their electronic devices, more than half said they would be interested in buying smart home products that are intended to pair personal electronics and manage power use from one place.
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