Beijing is planning a nearly eight percent rise in the household natural gas price in efforts to promote energy-saving awareness and meet big transportation costs as almost all the gas is piped in from other areas.

The price of household gas will rise by 0.15 yuan (US$0.019) to 2.05 yuan (US$0.26) per cubic meter, according to the Beijing Municipal Development and Reform Commission.

Households using an average of 18 cubic meters of gas per month will see their monthly bills rise by 2.7 yuan (US$0.34).

The city also plans to establish a gas price adjustment mechanism based on production prices, the commission said.

A public hearing attended by 30 representatives from different walks of life will be held next Friday in the city to finalize the adjustment, according to the commission.

2.88 million Beijing households were hooked up to natural gas at the end of 2005. The city purchased three billion cubic meters of gas last year from northwest China's gas-rich areas such as Shaanxi and Xinjiang.

The city's current gas price for household use is lower than that of other big cities such as Tianjin and Shanghai, whose gas prices stand at 2.20 yuan (US$0.28) and 2.10 yuan (US$0.26) per cubic meter.

(Xinhua News Agency December 14, 2006)