Coal-to-electricity plan to expand

A seven-year plan to replace polluting coal-fired heaters inside the Second Ring Road ended on Saturday, with 160,000 families switching to electricity or gas.

Authorities are subsidizing the cost of electricity in order to encourage the use of cleaner heating sources in central areas like Dongcheng, Xicheng, Xuanwu and Chongwen districts.

They have also upgraded the city's power grid.