The Mexican government will soon launch a pilot program to greatly reduce electricity consumption in the capital Mexico City and surrounding areas, Mexico's Energy Minster Georgina Kessel said Friday.

"The program is being examined to allow the establishment of an intelligent network through which we will measure the benefits for our nation," she told Xinhua after a national conference on energy efficiency at the Mexican Autonomous Institute of Technology.

"The intelligent network requires the use of communication technology to obtain more accurate information about power consumption in real time," she said.

The minister said a typical system applied by Mexico's northern neighbor,the United States, sends messages to suitably equipped homes when it is the most appropriate time to use washing machines and other electrical household appliances.

According to the official, the government will subsidize low-income families to buy energy-conserving home electrical appliances such as refrigerators and washing machines to replace old ones.

She said modern fridges now consume only 40 percent of the power used by old ones made 20 years ago.

Kessel added that the program will also be implemented in hotels and other public buildings.

The Mexican government has promised to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It has also published a national target and requested all local governments to produce plans to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by 2012.

Mexico will host the 16th United Nations Climate Change Conference in November this year.