Growth in China's electricity consumption slowed in the first two months of 2008 as the government imposed curbs on heavy industry and winter storms cut power supplies in some areas, an industry group has said.

Total electricity consumption rose 11.9 percent year-on-year to 523.9 billion kilowatt-hours in January and February, but the rise was 4.8 percentage points less than the year-earlier period, the China Electricity Council said in a statement on its website.

China's booming industry used 389.3 billion kw/hr, up 11.2 percent but still 8.6 percentage points less than the year-earlier rise.

"It was the first time in some years that the growth in the country's total electricity consumption outpaced that in industry, " it said.

Policies to curb smokestack industries, which are energy-intensive and highly polluting, were taking effect during the period, the council said. Meanwhile, power was being diverted to residential areas affected by the severe weather.

Electricity used by the service industry surged 13.4 percent to 58.1 billion kw/hr, while agriculture consumed 10.6 billion kw/hr, up 3.8 percent.