Beijing to dress down and save energy

The government said office workers should stop wearing business suits and focus on saving energy. China Daily reported that letting room temperature rise just one degree Celsius can net an 8% saving in energy costs. Air conditioning consumes 40% of electricity in the capital during the summer. The city now wants top hotels to set thermostats set at 23 degrees Celsius (73 degrees Fahrenheit), instead of the usual 22 degrees. Beijing's Commission of Development and Reform has also joined the conservation bandwagon by turning off air conditioners at night when no one is around. They used to keep blasting 24/7.