Texaco Inc. sent both Harvard and Cambridge city government officials scrambling for workable energy-saving programs this week by announcing sizable reductions in heating fuel and gasoline allowances.

The company on Monday set a 23,800-gallon limit on gas sales to the city government for December, despite repeated pleas by Cambridge officials for a more generous offering.

At the same time, Texaco announced a 28-per-cent cut in the amount of fuel it will sell to the Cambridge Electric Co. this month.

Texaco's decision persuaded Cambridge Electric, Harvard's source of steam heat and electricity, to order all customers to curtail their use of steam and electricity by a similar 28-per-cent margin. And they threatened offenders with severe penalties--including a complete cut-off of energy.

Harvard on Wednesday responded by organizing a special Programmed Energy Preservation Team (PEP) to implement the necessary changes in energy consumption. PEP chief Maurice E. Rice and a team of engineers have begun to traverse the 7.5 miles of underground steam tunnels nightly to shut off heat valves in classrooms and librariers, and to lower dormitory temperatures to 60 degrees. Engineers restore all building temperatures up to 68 degrees each morning.

Students who remain in Cambridge for Christmas holidays, for example, will be allowed to live in their dorms, but temperatures will be lowered to 60 or 65 degrees.

Leslie E. Thomas, manager of utilities, expressed optimism that his crew and PEP could meet the 28-percent cutback and further reductions that are anticipated in coming months.

Cambridge city officials were less optimistic in response to the cutbacks. Texaco's limit of 23,800 gallons of gasoline for city-owned vehicles means drastic reductions in municipal services will have to be made, because Cambridge usually consumes about 40,000 gallons each winter month.

Cith Manager John H. Corcoran and Purchasing Agent Richard McNamara have not determined what services will be cut, although they have said snow plowing, sanitation and other services except police protection and fire fighting would be vulnerable.

McNamara said Monday that he expects the city to run dry of gasoline by the middle of the month. The city has not yet found an alternative source of gas.

Last month, Texaco set a 25,000-gallon sales quota for the city without informing Cambridge officials. Caught short of fuel shortly after Thanksgiving, City Manager Corcoran negotiated for an extra 5000 gallons from Texaco's reserve supplies.

The oil giant said, however, that it will not consider selling any of its reserves to the city in December.

McNamara said he and Corcoran will continue to negotiate with Texaco and will "spend hours on their knees" if necessary to obtain extra gasoline. Referring to probable snowplow cutbacks. McNamara said grimly. "If we have a snowstorm this month, we'll all be dead."

City officials could follow the lead of their New York City counterparts, who this week threatened to take Exxon Co. to court after the company announced a similar quota on gas sales.

Texaco executives in Boston and at the main New York office, despite repeated attempts, were either unavailable or declined to comment on the gas and fuel reductions.

Cold rooms and snow-clogged streets lined with garbage may be among only the initial costs of Texaco's announcements. Dean Whitlock said Monday delay in construction of the new Yard dormitory is "almost inevitable" because of fuel cutbacks, and predicted another serious overcrowding problem for next fall. Meanwhile, Dean Rosovsky said the fuel problem and rising fuel costs could result in a greater tuition increase next school year.