Venezuelans lose sleep to save energy

CARACAS, Venezuela, May 1 (UPI) -- In another obvious sign of Venezuela's continuing economic struggles, its citizens on Sunday lost half an hour of sleep when their clocks were moved forward to save power.

The time change was ordered by President Nicolas Maduro as one of a number of measures he is implementing to cope with a severe and a tight-gripped economic crisis, the BBC reported.

The government had already ordered rolling blackouts and reduced the work week for public sector workers to just two days. Maduro blames the energy crisis on a severe drought.

The Venezuelan president says the drought has drained the country's hydroelectric dams and its capacity to generate power. His critics, though, say the crisis is due to mismanagement of the energy sector.

The government has also ordered shopping malls to open only half time and generate their own electricity and schools to close on Fridays.

When Maduro announced the time change, Science and Technology Minister Jorge Arreaza said the night-time use of lighting and air conditioning was a huge drain on the national power grid.

The time change means there is a half an hour more daylight in the evening when energy consumption peak, itv reported.

The move rolls back the original time change made by the late Hugo Chavez so that children could wake up for school in daylight.

Maduro urged Venezuelan citizens, on state television,to get behind the measures and to consider how they could save energy in the home.