OTTAWA — Canadians will be reducing their energy consumption, and keeping more money in their pockets thanks to Bill S-3, an act to amend the Energy Efficiency Act, receiving Royal Assent today.

"Canada continues to lead the world in the development of energy efficiency standards, and this legislation is further proof of our achievements," said the Honourable Lisa Raitt, Minister of Natural Resources. "Not only will Canadians see a reduction in their energy bills, but they will also be taking further action to protect our environment."

The amendments to the Energy Efficiency Act allow for energy efficiency standards to be set for products that affect energy consumption, including windows and doors, as well as thermostats and other energy-system control devices.

The amended Act also allows for the development of future standards to reduce the amount of energy consumed by televisions, microwaves, CD players and computers even when they are turned off.

These amendments build on the Government of Canada's plan to fight climate change, which sets a course to achieve an absolute reduction of 20 percent in Canada's greenhouse gas emissions by 2020.

Modernizing the Energy Efficiency Act complements new measures in Canada's Economic Action Plan, which provides almost $2.4 billion to support a cleaner and sustainable environment and helps Canadians control their energy costs.