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Shops and offices get colder to save gas
By Xu Fan (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-01-06 07:51
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The standard temperature for heating supply is a minimum 16 C degrees.
The government action was taken in response to findings that an excessive amount of natural gas is being used amid the extreme cold in the wake of the heavy snow on Sunday, local government said.
According to the latest forecast from the meteorological bureau, the average temperature for the following 10 days will be -10 C.
The bureau also said that the lowest temperature today would be -16 C, providing Beijing with the coldest winter day for four decades.
Mu Bingjie, a spokesman with the Beijing municipal commission of city administration and environment, said the municipal government has approved an emergency heating supply plan.
"This is extremely abnormal weather. Natural gas is being used at a much faster rate than in the past," he said.
"This plan will cut back on gas intended for public constructions to ensure a steady supply to residential buildings."
Mu said the gas supply to shopping malls, supermarkets, office buildings, public constructions and industry enterprises will be limited and heating will be reduced.
"Some shopping malls have good-quality insulation walls so even if we lower the supply, the interior temperature won't drop too low."
Guo Weiqi, director of the Beijing heating office of the committee, confirmed the minimum interior temperature for large shopping malls and supermarkets would be 13 C.
Yu Li, vice-general manager of the group, said the gas supply automatically regulates itself by adjusting to the hourly weather conditions.
"This makes it hard to calculate how much gas will be saved from the plan since no one can accurately forecast the weather," he said.
