China has ordered hotels in the capital not to reduce the temperature in air-conditioned rooms to less than 26 degrees Celsius in summer and not to heat them over 20 degrees in winter to save energy.

 

Du Jiang, director of the Beijing Tourism Administration, said at a energy-conservation meeting over the week that hotels that have service contracts with the Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2008 Olympic Games were asked to clean their air-conditioning and ventilation systems before the end of the year.

 

All three to five-star hotels should carry out the cleaning operation by the end of May 2008.

 

The order comes just a month after the State Council said room temperatures in air-conditioned public buildings should be set at no less than 26 degrees Celsius, to save energy during the electricity demand peak in summer.

 

All government agencies, associations, groups, companies and private owners in public buildings should "strictly comply with this rule," the State Council said.

 

China's consumption of energy has soared as the economy has grown. Shortages of coal, electric power, petroleum and shipping capacity are big challenges that China faces in its development.

 

The bureau also require hotels to use water-saving equipment, install energy-saving light bulbs and reduce the supply of disposable articles such as toothbrushes, soap, razors and slippers in hotel rooms.

 

According to statistics from the Beijing Tourism Administration, more than 1,400 tons of garbage will disappear from Beijing each year if hotels reduce the supply of disposable articles.

 

China began rating hotels in 1988. By the end of 2006, the country had 13,378 hotels rated one to five stars, including 298 five-star hotels, 1,400 four-star hotels, and 4,993 three-star hotels.

 

(Xinhua News Agency July 16, 2007)