Govt sets minimun temp for airconditioners at 20°C

Govt sets minimun temp for airconditioners at 20°C

Sanjay Dutta TNN 11.06.2025

New Delhi : All new air-conditioners (ACs) will soon come with a minimum temperature setting of 20°C instead of 16 or 18°C and a maximum of 28°C against 30°C at present, a move that can potentially result in savings of ₹18,000-20,000cr for consumers over three years. 

Power minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Tuesday also announced ₹5,400-crore VGF funding for 30GW of battery storage projects and extension of the waiver of inter-state transmission charges for green power till June 28, 2028. These decisions are expected to spur investments of ₹33,000 crore in battery storage projects and prove a boon for ₹1 lakh crore worth of green transmission projects underway. Describing it as a “unique experiment”, Khattar said the new mandate for AC makers will improve efficiency in cooling operations, mitigating the surge in power demand and electricity bills as summers get hotter. 

As and when the new norms are notified, they will apply to ACs used across sectors — from residential places to commercial establishments such as office blocks, malls, hotels and movie theatres, which often run their units at the lowest setting. The ‘experiment’ appears to be inspired by similar moves in Italy and Japan. 

While Rome has fixed the lowest temperature setting for public buildings at 23°C , Japan follows a fixed temperature of 27°C . Govt data indicate that every 1°C increase in temperature setting for cooling reduces power consumption by 6%. They also show that if 6 crore urban households and 12 lakh commercial establishments keep their AC setting between 22 and 24°C, it will save 12-15 billion units of power annually, do away with the need to build 4-5 coal-fired power plants and substantially reduce carbon emissions. Industry bodies representing the manufacturers said the move will raise their R&D expenses but also push up demand for more efficient units, which usually cost more. 

Based on a 2018 Bureau of Energy Efficiency study, the govt had in 2020 mandated a default setting of 24°C for ACs and suggested running units at 26-27°C. In Oct 2023, the International Energy Agency said India’s demand for electricity from household ACs will increase significantly by 2050, potentially exceeding total power consumption in Africa. It also anticipated India witnessing the highest energy demand growth globally over the next three decades, driven by rising incomes and a warming climate. NEW SUMMER SETTING: The ‘experiment’ appears to be in- spired by similar moves in Italy and Japan. While Rome has fixed the lowest temperature setting for public buildings at 23°C, Japan follows a fixed temperature of 27°C