THE agonising shortage of power in the country has given rise to different ideas about how to conserve energy and lessen its impact. Daylight saving by advancing the clock by an hour in summertime in a country where the sun shines for good 15 hours a day, seems to be a poorly conceived plan. It was tried in 2002 with little effect and there is no justification for digging it up again. The government should, however, be concentrating on trying other more workable measures, like closing the markets by 9 p.m., staggering the working days of industrial units, limiting the use of lights on festive occasions, replacing bulbs with energy savers, etc. No doubt, the shopkeepers, now used to keeping their businesses open well past midnight, would find the change irksome but, under the present circumstances when life that has increasingly become dependent upon power supply stands virtually crippled, they could be persuaded to reorient their habit and open their shops earlier in the day to compensate for the time they lose. They will find the customer ready to adjust to the new timing. Besides, an exceedingly odd phenomenon, when adverse effects of power shutdowns have become a much talked about subject in the country, is the excessive illuminations at wedding ceremonies and public functions. A comprehensive plan should also include the staggering of working days of industries, which are major consumers of electricity, and encouraging the use of energy savers in place of ordinary bulbs.