(Yicai Global) Aug. 13 -- China’s electricity consumption rose 2.3 percent last month from a year ago as the economy recovered from a coronavirus-triggered shutdown and householders used more as summer temperatures soared.

China used 682.4 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity in July, the National Energy Administration announced today. The National Bureau of Statistics will release its power consumption figures tomorrow.

Residential power use climbed 13.8 percent to 98.2 billion kWhs, while primary industry, which is mostly agriculture, used 11.6 percent more at 8.5 billion kWhs.

The tally for secondary industry, which mainly includes manufacturers, was 459.3 billion kWhs, down 0.7 percent. Tertiary industry, which covers the service sector, boosted its use by 5.3 percent to 116.4 billion kWhs.

From January to July, China used 0.7 percent less electricity at 4 trillion kWhs from a year ago amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

Editor: Emmi Laine