Ananova:

Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez has instructed his citizens to stop singing in the shower.

As his country suffers from a chronic water and energy crisis, Chavez told the public to limit the amount of time they spend in the bathroom.

"Some people sing in the shower, stay in the shower for half an hour," he fumed in a televised cabinet meeting, according to the Daily Mail.

He then revealed that he was taking the lead in the fight against wasted energy.

"No, kids," he urged, "three minutes is more than enough. I've counted, three minutes, and I don't stink."

Warming to his subject, he continued: "If you're going to lie back in the bath with the soap and you turn on the Jacuzzi, imagine that - what kind of Communism is that?"

Increased demand and a lack of investment have caused serious blackouts in Venezeula in recent months, with the situation made worse by low rainfall affecting the hydroelectric dams that generate much of the country's power.

Chavez has already announced measures to curb energy use, instructing government departments and nationalised companies to reduce their consumption by 20%.