Electricity saving, Japan for long lunch break ...

Japan is facing an energy crisis when summer comes. In response to this situation, a city in Japan has asked all companies to allow employees to leave work from 13:00 to 16:00 daily.

Gifu city government (Japan) has asked all office staff in the city to work from 13h to 16h every day to reduce electricity consumption during summer days. The reason given is that, because air conditioning in the city's companies and offices consumes huge amounts of electricity in the coming summer months.

By giving employees a break from 13h to 16h daily, the city government
Gifu hopes to cut power consumption by 11% this year.
(Photo: Asianoffbeat).

Meanwhile, Japan is at risk of energy crisis when many of its nuclear power plants have been closed to check safety levels, after the March 11 earthquake and tsunami. has caused Fukushima nuclear power plant to be badly damaged.

The Telegraph newspaper quoted Yuiichi Kumazaki, a senior official of Gifu City, saying: ' We are extremely worried about the electricity being used and we have to cut it. The peak uses electricity often in the early afternoon. Therefore, some people have come up with the idea for employees to spend the early afternoon saving electricity '.

During this break, employees are required to turn off all computers, lighting and air conditioning. They can go home to rest or go for a walk or go shopping at shopping centers in the city.

With this new regulation, Japan's Gifu city government hopes to cut power consumption by 11% this year.