In a first, India to standardise air conditioner temperature at 20-28°C

Business Standard

a day ago

For the first time, India will mandate setting air conditioning (AC) temperatures as low as 20°C and as high as 28°C across all sectors, including cars, amid rising temperatures due to climate change and increasing use of cooling systems, Union Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said on Tuesday.
The move is aimed at improving efficiency in cooling and potentially controlling sudden power demand spikes, as well as reducing electricity bills.
This means, if the new rule is implemented, ACs which currently operate as low as 16°C or 18°C and as high as 30°C, will be restricted to a minimum of 20°C and a maximum of 28°C.
As per the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) mandate in 2020, the default temperature for all room and car ACs must be set at 24°C. This applies to all brands and types of star-labelled ACs, but users can currently adjust settings in the range of 24–25°C in commercial buildings to optimise energy efficiency and comfort.
'We have decided the minimum temperature of ACs will be fixed at 20°C and maximum at 28°C to bring uniformity to air conditioning use and help reduce excessive power consumption due to extremely low cooling settings,' Khattar told reporters.
Consultation with line ministries, manufacturers, and the automotive industry is under way. Once complete, guidelines will be issued and implementation will follow accordingly.
This paper reported last month that the Centre was considering more stringent efficiency standards for AC manufacturers and a revision to the Indian Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (ISEER).
India has long worked to promote energy conservation and reduce electricity demand, especially during peak summer months.
The country witnessed record-high power demand of about 241 GW on Monday as temperatures crossed 45°C in parts of the country, including Delhi.
The revised limits are part of a broader policy framework to improve energy efficiency in residential and commercial buildings. ACs in India often operate below 20°C in homes and offices, leading to higher energy consumption and increased strain on the power grid. With rising temperatures and growing demand for cooling appliances, managing electricity use is becoming a national priority, Khattar said.
According to the BEE, most ACs are set between 20°C and 21°C, but the ideal comfort range is 24–25°C. Raising the temperature from 20°C to 24°C can result in about 24 per cent power savings, with each additional 1°C increase saving approximately 6 per cent electricity. If half of India's AC users adopt this, the country could save 10 billion units of electricity annually, reduce bills by ₹5,000 crore, and cut CO₂ emissions by 8.2 million tonnes, making it a highly cost-effective energy efficiency measure.
A live survey hosted on the mygov.in platform invites citizens to share their preferences for ideal AC temperatures. Open until 25 March 2025, the survey aims to understand user habits and expectations around comfort and cost.