The ACT Government will be the first jurisdiction in the country to formally give preference to the purchase of electrical equipment with low standby power requirements, as part of its commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, Chief Minister and Minister for the Environment Jon Stanhope has announced.
Standby power is the power used to maintain electrical appliances such as computers, televisions and microwaves in a ready-to-operate state. It is estimated that standby power consumes more than 10% of all the electricity used in Australia.
“The ACT Government will be the first jurisdiction to formally introduce standby power requirements for its electrical appliance purchases,” Mr Stanhope said.
“Other jurisdictions and the Federal Government have endorsed a national strategy for progressive reductions in standby power use and the ACT Government will continue to support national initiatives.”
ACT Government agencies will make informed appliance purchases using information on a new database that is being developed, containing information about the standby power usage of various appliances.
Mr Stanhope said the new regime would take some time to have an impact on energy consumption, but was an important step in the Government’s long-term strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The initiative will form part of the Climate Change and Greenhouse Strategy and Energy Policy currently being developed by the ACT Government.
Mr Stanhope has written to Energy Ministers across Australia encouraging them to implement similar policies to reduce their energy usage and greenhouse impact.