Men are more romantic than women — or at least more likely to make a show of it one day a year according to a new opinion poll.

It showed 75 percent of males pledged to do something special for Valentine's Day tomorrow while only 62 percent of females said they would.

But the set-piece schmaltz is clearly wearing thin on seniors with only 50 percent promising to make it a day to remember compared to 73 percent of adults under 50.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, senior citizens are more interested in saving energy than sparking life into flagging love lives according to the telephone poll by Research.bm of 404 residents earlier this month.

It showed 74 percent of the over 65s were very keen to incorporate energy saving techniques into their lives this year.

That compares with 55 percent of the 18 to 34 year-old age group saying they strongly agreed they would save energy this year. It follows soaring energy prices and Government's establishment of a new department to help reduce Bermuda's oil consumption which has fuelled inflation.

The poll also probed attitudes on a Government-sponsored newspaper although it is far from clear that anything similar has been proposed. Premier Ewart Brown has hinted a new newspaper might be produced soon, but it has never been said that it would be Government-sponsored.

Only 43 percent of residents said they would trust the contents of a Government-sponsored newspaper to be unbiased and factual.

Fifty percent of males said they would trust such an organ, along with 49 percent of 18 to 34 year-olds and 49 percent of 51 to 64 year-olds.

Females, those aged 35-50 and pensioners were more sceptical than average.