CHINA¡¯s Premier Wen Jiabao has called for the nation to take steps to save energy as the country is expected to face a serious electricity shortfall this year.

Wen suggested that government offices keep air conditioners¡¯ temperature no lower than 26 degree centigrade.

He also advised government officials to put away their Western-style suits and ties and wear other clothes to keep them cooler.

Government buildings should not turn on their lights during daytime and definitely not keep them on throughout the night, said Wen in a recent speech at a national teleconference.

China has run into electricity shortages this summer which are expected to be worse than in 2004, when the country saw the worst shortfalls since the 1980s.

So far this year, 24 of China¡¯s 31 provinces have experienced breakdowns in power supply.

The Yangtze River Delta is one of the areas most badly affected. This summer will see the shortfall of electricity hit a record 8.5 million kilowatts in Zhejiang Province and 6 million watts in Jiangsu Province.

In Zhejiang, only half of the elevators and escalators in shopping malls are permitted to operate. Barbers are reported to be buying their own generators in case the power is cut off when they are in the middle of hair dressing.

The citizens in Zhejiang also suffered from temporary break-downs and rushed to swimming pools and other places to escape the hot weather.

In Jiangsu Province, Suzhou experienced its first peak time last weekend, when the city instructed local manufacturers to halt production in rotation.

The Zhujiang River Delta, China¡¯s other economic engine, is also suffering from a major electricity shortfall. The South China electricity supply network is stricken by a 7 million kilowatt deficit.

Guangzhou has managed to buy electricity from Anhui Province and power from the Three Gorges.

In the north of China, one of the China¡¯s industrial clusters ¡ª the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei area ¡ª also met with electricity and water supply shortages.

Li Jian