To restrict the operation of enterprises with high energy consumption, the government has set different electricity prices for different types of producers.

Companies consuming huge amounts of coke and aluminum must pay more for the same amount of electricity than others, according to the policy.

The team, sent by the National Development and Reform Commission and the Electricity Regulatory Commission, will visit Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Henan, Hunan, Sichuan, Guizhou, Shaanxi and Gansu.

On Tuesday, the official figures revealed that some provincial areas consumed 10 times more water than others for the same industrial output.

According to statistics jointly released by the NDRC, the Ministry of Water Resources and the National Bureau of Statistics, the average amount of water consumed nationwide to generate industrial added value of 10,000 yuan (US$1,282) was 169 cubic meters last year.

This figure was about five to 10 times higher than in developed countries, the NDRC said.

In hinterland provinces of Guizhou, Anhui and Hunan, water consumption for 10,000 yuan of industrial added value exceeded 360 cubic meters, but the figure for Shandong Province was only 23 cubic meters. The figure for Tianjin City was 24 cubic meters.