XN000022-1979-08-08 — Page 6

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 8, 1979

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THE TRADE INDEX NUMBERS FOR MAY 1979 (1973-100) WERE RELEASED AS FOLLOWS:

DOMESTIC EXPORTS

IMPORTS

VALUE

UNIT VALUE

QUANTUM

INDEX

INDEX

INDEX

281

159

176

285

165

173

THE TERMS OF TRADE INDEX FOR MAY 1979 WAS 96.

POWER COMPANIES DISCLOSE FUEL SAVING FIGURES

******

AVERAGE SAVINGS IN FUEL OIL CONSUMPTION OF 4.3 PER CENT WERE RECORDED BY HONG KONG'S TWO POWER COMPANIES IN THE SIX WEEKS SINCE THE INTRODUCTION OF ENERGY CONSERVATION MEASURES ON MAY 13, A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

THE SAVINGS FIGURES ARE BASED ON STATISTICS COMPILED BY THE POWER COMPANIES SHOWING UNITS OF FUEL CONSUMED BEFORE AND AFTER THE START OF THE ENERGY SAVING CAMPAIGN.

THE MANDATORY RESTRICTIONS ON THE CONSUMPTION OF ELECTRICITY FOR LIGHTING HAS REDUCED THE USE OF NEON LIGHTS AFTER 11.30 P.M.- AND THE TEMPORARY REINTRODUCTION OF DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME (GMT + 9) HAS CAUSED THE DEMAND FOR LIGHTING TO BE DEFERRED BY UP TO TWO HOURS.

THE GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID 1+THERE ARE SPECIAL DIFFICULTIES IN ISOLATING THE EFFECT OF INDIVIDUAL ENERGY SAVING MEASURES AS MANY OTHER FACTORS MAY BE WORKING TO REDUCE FUEL OIL CONSUMPTION AT THE SAME TIME.

+HOWEVER IN THE FIRST SIX WEEKS FOLLOWING THE START OF GOVERNMENT'S FUEL SAVING CAMPAIGN THE POWER COMPANIES FIGURES SHOW A CLEAR OVERALL DECLINE IN THE RATE OF GROWTH OF ELECTRICITY CONSUMPTION.+

SMALL SAVINGS HAVE ALSO BEEN EFFECTED AS A RESULT OF REDUCTIONS IN THE POWER COMPANIES SPINNING RESERVES.

ALTHOUGH SAVINGS REPORTED BY THE POWER COMPANIES TO THE OIL POLICY COMMITTEE AT THE BEGINNING OF JUNE WERE SLIGHTLY LESS THAN 4.75 PER CENT, THE MONTH WAS WARMER AND MORE HUMID THAN MAY AND ELECTRICITY CONSUMPTION MARGINALLY INCREASED.

+THIS SLIGHT INCREASE IN CONSUMPTION IN THE FACE OF CONTINUING UNCERTAINTY OVER FUEL OIL SUPPLIES INDICATES THAT THE PUBLIC STILL NEED TO DO MORE TO SAVE FUEL ESPECIALLY BY REDUCING THE USE OF AIR-CONDITIONERS OR BY SETTING THE THERMOSTATS OF AIR-CONDITIONING UNITS TO 26 DEGREES CELCIUS OR ABOVE.

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