Tokyo Electric Power Co. may have avoided a power supply shortage stemming from the shutdown of its biggest nuclear plant thanks to conservation efforts by corporate and household users, according to a Tepco estimate released Tuesday.</PARAGRAPH> <PHOTO> <TABLE WIDTH='250' ALIGN='RIGHT' BORDER='0'> <TR> <TD><IMG ALT='News photo' BORDER='0' SRC='../images/photos2007/nn20071003a8a.jpg' WIDTH='250' HEIGHT='171'/></TD> </TR> <TR> <TD><FONT SIZE='1'><B>Workers remove part of the lid on the No. 7 reactor at Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear plant Thursday in its first inspection of the interior of the reactor following the July 16 earthquake. </B> KYODO PHOTO</FONT></TD> </TR> <TABLE> </PHOTO> <PARAGRAPH>The amount of electricity saved was equivalent to the output of one reactor, Tepco said.</PARAGRAPH> <PARAGRAPH>The utility used TV commercials and other means to ask customers to carry out such energy-saving measures as raising their air-conditioner settings. The campaign was launched after a powerful earthquake in July forced the company to shut down its Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant in Niigata Prefecture.</PARAGRAPH> <PARAGRAPH>In July and August, Tepco sent a questionnaire to some 160 offices, department stores and other corporate users to check their use of electricity.</PARAGRAPH> <PARAGRAPH>Tepco also received replies from about 2,000 households to an Internet survey carried out in August for the same purpose.</PARAGRAPH> <PARAGRAPH>Analyzing survey findings about air-conditioner temperatures, Tepco estimates that some 1.1 million kilowatts of electricity were saved this summer, including 540,000 kw by households and 520,000 kw by businesses.</PARAGRAPH> <PARAGRAPH>The saved electricity of 1.1 million kw is equivalent to the output of the No. 1 reactor in the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa power plant.</PARAGRAPH> <SUBHEAD> Reactor lid opened</SUBHEAD> <PARAGRAPH> NIIGATA –

Work for a full inspection of the quake-damaged No. 7 reactor began Tuesday at Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant. Workers opened the lid on the pressure container, the main body of the reactor. Of the power plant's seven reactors, No. 7 was the first to have its lid removed following the deadly July 16 quake.