Electricity use returned to growth in August, suggesting a slight improvement in economic activity.

　　Power consumption rose 1.9 percent year-on-year to 512.4 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh), compared with a 1.3 percent fall in July, the National Energy Administration announced on Tuesday.

　　In the first eight months of 2015, power use edged up 1 percent to 3.68 trillion kWh.

　　Electricity use grew in the second quarter, albeit slowly. Analysts attributed the July drop to relatively cool weather and frequent rain as well as tepid industrial activity.

　　Though the growth rate was low, power use recovered gradually from April to June.