Air conditioners in India may soon be limited to cooling only up to 20 degrees Celsius and heating no more than 28 degrees Celsius.Union Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar announced on Tuesday that the government is preparing to bring in a fixed temperature range for ACs.
The Centre’s new rule will apply to all air conditioners, whether used at home or in workplaces.Many countries have already brought in similar limits, either through official orders or public guidelines, especially in offices and public spaces where power use is high. In this explainer, we look at what the government is planning, why this change is coming, what it means for people in India, and how it lines up with rules in other countries.
At a press briefing held in New Delhi, the Union Minister said, “Regarding air conditioning standards, a new provision is being implemented soon. The temperature standardisation for ACs will be set between 20°C to 28°C, meaning we won’t be able to cool below 20°C or warm above 28°C.”“This is a first-of-its-kind experiment, aiming to standardise temperature settings,” he added.At present, people usually set their air conditioners between 20°C and 22°C.
However, the ideal comfort level, according to standard guidelines, is between 24°C and 26°C. The plan will be rolled out shortly, with checks in place to see how well it works. The aim is to encourage consistent use of ACs and cut down the high electricity usage caused by extremely low cooling settings.The Centre’s order will fix the temperature range for all air conditioners, whether at home or in businesses. This means that once the rule takes effect, users would not be able to drop the cooling below 20°C or raise the heating past 28°C.
Right now, many ACs sold in the market allow temperatures as low as 16°C or 18°C and heating options that go up to 30°C. At present, people usually set their air conditioners between 20°C and 22°C. Under the new rule, manufacturers will have to either update the software or change how the devices are programmed to follow the 20°C–28°C limit.
While the government has said the change will be watched closely, details on how it will be enforced across different sectors are yet to be shared.This move is meant to manage how energy is used in homes and offices, especially as India faces growing electricity demand and more frequent, severe heat waves.
Union Minister Khattar called it a “bold step” to tackle the habit of using air conditioners at very low temperatures, which leads to a lot of power being used.The numbers behind the decision are strong. Even a one-degree rise in AC temperature can lower energy use by about 6%. If the country sets the minimum temperature at 20°C, officials believe it could save up to 3 gigawatts of peak demand, Pankaj Agarwal, the ministry’s top official said.
This change also fits into a wider national push for using energy in a more balanced way. As more people from the middle class buy air conditioners and cities grow, electricity use is rising sharply during the summer months. Running ACs at very low temperatures puts huge pressure on the power supply system. The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) said most people in India tend to set their ACs at 20–21°C, lower than needed for basic comfort.
This not only increases power bills but also leads to more pollution, as much of India’s electricity still comes from coal-based plants.
By setting a lower limit of 20°C for cooling and 28°C for heating, the government wants to make ACs more efficient, reduce the pressure on the electricity grid, lower emissions, and shift how people think about using cooling systems.
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