Retrofitting or replacing inefficient equipment, duct work or control systems would produce considerable long-term energy savings.

But because Russia's companies operate such outdated and inefficient equipment, they can easily and cheaply upgrade.

Experts say that 80 percent of the $10 billion annual energy bill for commercial food service is squandered by the use of inefficient equipment.

As such, there is an increasing role for the use of equipment, such as meters, which monitor and identify inefficient equipment or processes.

Together with the absence of regulatory standards, this barrier supports the proliferation of inefficient equipment.

This would tend to slow down capital turnover of old, inefficient equipment, exactly the opposite effect that is required.

When combined with inefficient equipment, the cost of irrigating increased beyond the point at which farmers could maintain their systems.

It is unclear whether this policy works very well because the lack of competition often encourages companies (and governments) to keep inefficient and out dated equipment or business practices.

Until the late 1980's, the Soviet Union invested huge sums to operate inefficient equipment, cutting back on the constant investment needed for new wells.

In my view, we waste some twenty-five percent of all energy through inefficient equipment or through poorly thought-out transmission or organisational solutions.