At the same time, the volume of transmitted electric energy increased by 3.4% and equaled 42.4 billion kWh.

According to the IDGC of North-West’s annual report, which was presented at the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders, the 2008 volume of the transmitted electric energy in comparison with the 2006 figures grew by more than 3 billion kWh (7.7%), compared to 2007 - by 1.4 billion kWh (3.4%) and totaled 42.4 billion kWh.

Against the background of the growth of supply to the network, a steady electric energy loss reduction in IDGC of North-West's networks is observed during the 2006-2008 period. In 2006, it was 7.1%; following the results of the last year, this indicator is fixed at 6.7%. The annual effect from the decrease in losses in networks due to the actions held totaled 58.9 million kWh.

The reduction of technical losses was achieved owing to replacement of the overloaded equipment - 92 power transformers and 167 km of overhead lines, switching-off of transformers in modes of small loadings at substations having two and more transformers, switching-off of transformers at substations with seasonal loading. Certain measures to decrease the charge of the electric power for own needs of substation plants were taken.

Besides, the loss decrease was promoted by automation of electric energy measuring systems. In 2008, 16 automated electric energy commercial measuring systems were installed.

The Company held a large-scale work to reveal unregistered energy consumption. In 2008, the branches of IDGC of North-West held more than 23 thousand spot-checks to reveal and eliminate cases of infringement of technical operation of measuring complexes and unregistered consumption.

The Deputy Minister for Energy Industry Vyacheslav Sinyugin, speaking on June 10th at the expanded session of the energy committee of the State Duma on the issues of electric power loss, emphasized that the loss reduction in networks was an especially acute problem in conditions of the crisis.

"These opportunities should be used to save resources and improve the situation.  We can already observe a certain progress in this area ", the Deputy Minister stressed.

According to Mr. Sinyugin, the Ministry for Energy Industry of the Russian Federation plans to hold a special session devoted to these questions. "One of the offers deals with the federal support of the electric power loss reduction program for installation of electric power measuring devices", Mr. Sinyugin said.

In 2008, 1,750 pieces of additional meters and 900 transformers were installed at the IDGC of North-West's networks.