India wants air conditioners to be made with milder temperature settings
to save energy
[July 14, 2025] By
SIBI ARASU
BENGALURU, India (AP) — India’s government is seeking to limit
temperature settings on new air conditioners to save electricity in the
country that considered the fastest-growing market for them.
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."
Air conditioners are fast becoming some of the biggest energy guzzlers
in India. Room air conditioners accounted for as much as one quarter of
the electricity needed in India during times of the highest usage in
2024, a measure known as peak demand, according to estimates by
researchers at the University of California, Berkeley. New AC units
added between 2019 and 2024 have increased India’s peak demand by an
amount roughly equivalent to what it would take to power New Delhi for a
year, the researchers estimated.
Energy demand is typically highest during the summer when temperatures
can reach 51 degrees Celsius (124 degrees Fahrenheit) in parts of the
country.
If changes are not made, India is expected to have power shortages by
next year. India’s hunger for energy is also a key reason the country is
one of the highest emitters of planet-heating gases. Clean energy use is
growing, but most of India’s electricity is provided by
climate-polluting fossil fuels such as coal.
Nikit Abhyankar, a leader of the India Energy and Climate Center at the
University of California, Berkley, said that Delhi, like other major
Indian cities, now experiences dual peaks in electricity use — one in
the afternoon and another around midnight — driven largely by air
conditioners. While solar energy can help offset daytime demand,
nighttime cooling still relies heavily on fossil fuels.
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People purchase air conditioners at a shop on a hot summer day in
Srinagar, Indian-controlled Kashmir, June 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Mukhtar
Khan, File)
 Rule changes can nudge consumers
to use less energy
The air conditioner proposal is the latest in a series of government
measures over the past decade aimed at saving energy, such as
mandating that government offices be cooled at no less than 24
degrees Celsius (75 degrees Fahrenheit). In 2022, the government
launched the Mission Life program that includes public service
messages encouraging people to reduce emissions by cutting
electricity use or skipping unnecessary car trips. The initiative
announced with much fanfare has received mixed responses.
Some are supportive of the proposed change to air conditioner
settings. Sunil Kumar, a 47-year-old from East Delhi, said the rule
could prevent fire hazards and lower bills.
“People used to live without air conditioners. We can adjust,” said
Kumar, who drives a small commercial vehicle known as a tuk-tuk.
New Delhi-based businessperson Surjeet Singh said turning air
conditioners down to their current lowest setting was “unnecessary.”
“People have gotten too comfortable,” he said, suggesting that
cities invest in planting trees to tackle urban heat.
Indian air conditioners are inefficient
Abhyankar, the California professor, said that while changing
temperature settings will help, requiring air conditioners to be
energy efficient would do more.
“Tightening the minimum efficiency standards can change things
pretty significantly,” said Abhyankar, who has also studied the
energy sector in the U.S., China, Indonesia and Vietnam.
Calling the proposed air conditioner rule a “step in the right
direction,” Pramod Singh, an energy savings expert with New
Delhi-based Alliance for an Energy Efficient Economy, said replacing
the country’s estimated 80 million older generation, inefficient air
conditioners is a key challenge for the government.
Many units available in India are so inefficient they couldn't be
sold in many other countries, Abhyankar said.
“Although India imports most key components for its air conditioners
from China, nearly 80% of the air conditioners that are currently
sold in India would be banned in China,” he said.
Energy experts said other small changes can reduce energy use and
customer costs, such as making sure new buildings have adequate
ventilation, combining air conditioners with other cooling methods
and using smart technologies to run air conditioners.
“Air conditioner use reduces significantly if users also run their
ceiling fans, as the room cools much faster,” said Abhyankar.
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