India wants air conditioners to be made with milder temperature settings to save energy
The power minister proposed a rule in June requiring air conditioners sold in the country to have thermostats that can be set no lower than 20 Celsius (68 Fahrenheit).
Officials hope the small change will create massive energy savings in the country of more than 1.4 billion people. About 10 million to 15 million air conditioners are sold annually as incomes and urbanization increase along with the temperatures.
The current lowest setting is 17 C (62 F). Officials say each degree an air conditioner is turned up saves about 6% on energy.
Reaction to the change is mixed
Energy experts said the proposal is a positive step, but that requiring units to be more energy efficient would help more.
Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said the proposed rule would take effect soon but wasn't specific about timing.
The proposal has gotten mixed reviews from people living in India's sweltering cities.
'Overall, I think it's good to try and save energy, but at the same time I hope the government makes sure people are not too inconvenienced,' said Vikram Kannan, a 37-year-old teacher who lives in the humid southern city of Chennai with his wife and 4-year-old daughter. 'Sometimes there is no choice but to set a low air conditioner temperature in cities like Chennai because it's just way too hot and humid. My daughter gets heat pimples at times if we don't do this.'
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