Tieless Japanese bureaucrats, slower Thai drivers and overheated Chinese shoppers may help save a barrel or two of oil or a few megawatts of power, but they will not reverse the region's powerful energy growth, which last year accounted for nearly half of global incremental oil demand.

"Overall, it's doubtful whether they will have a significant effect in the absence of compulsory measures and a lack of voluntary moves," said Moon Young-seok, an economist at state-funded Korea Energy Economics Institute (KEEI).

The Asia Pacific region consumes nearly 30 percent of the world's oil but produces only 10 percent, making it more vulnerable than other areas to rising costs.

While prices add pressure to wobbly economies in Japan and South Korea, they have not derailed US growth, which is vital for Asia's export-oriented economic health.

With that intact, governments are reluctant to incur public wrath with any draconian curbs, although this week's break above $60 a barrel set alarm bells ringing around the region.

South Korea, whose $50 billion energy bill makes up nearly a quarter of its total imports, this week debated ways to cut back as officials said the searing oil rally threatened to shave nearly 1 percentage point off economic growth.

Seoul sealed a pact with major local makers of electronic home appliances to improve energy efficiency of their products, but said it would reduce electricity use by just 0.25 percent.

Japan, which has a long-term policy to support nuclear power to reduce its reliance on oil, has encouraged public servants to go tie-less this summer to cut air-conditioner use.

Efforts to curb electricity help reduce the need for imported oils and liquefied natural gas (LNG) in the north Asian nations, who use both fuels to generate power.

Energy prices have risen much more slowly than the cost of other goods over the past two decades -- blunting public efforts to conserve energy, with consumers and companies showing little inclination to cut back usage.

Thailand, for instance, is mandating a 10 percent ethanol blend in motor fuels from 2007 to reduce oil demand, but in the short term has resorted to pleading with its populace.

"Oil prices will continue to rise and will be even higher when winter comes, therefore we have to seek more saving measures," Thai Energy Minister Viset Choonpiban, conspicuously jacket-less, told a seminar on Thursday.

Thailand has set a medium-term target to cut back its energy use by 20 percent by 2009, saving it $5 billion, but has seen little benefit from its campaign this summer to get citizens to turn off air-conditioners during lunch breaks and asking drivers to go no faster than 90 kilometres an hour.