Soon, ACs in India will have a set limit for AC temperatures. Recently, Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs, Manohar Lal Khattar announced that a new provision regarding air conditioning standards would soon be implemented. He mentioned that the temperature standardisation for air conditioners would be established between 20°C and 28°C, indicating that it would not be possible to cool below 20°C or warm above 28°C. He described this initiative as a first-of-its-kind experiment aimed at standardising temperature settings.
Raising the temperature on your air conditioner by just 1 degree Celsius can help you save about 6 per cent on your electricity bill, according to the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE). They mention that many people set their air conditioners to 20-21 degrees Celsius, but the ideal comfort level is actually between 24-25 degrees Celsius. If you adjust your air conditioner from 20 to 24 degrees, you could save around 24 per cent on power.
By keeping your air conditioner at 24 degrees, you not only save energy but also cut down on expenses. The BEE estimates that if many people follow this advice, we could collectively save about 20 billion units of electricity every year, which is worth around Rs 10,000 crore.
If about half of all users make this change, it could lead to savings of 10 billion units of electricity, helping to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about 8.2 million tonnes each year.
Remember that you can easily change the factory settings on your air conditioner if you want to make these adjustments. The way a compressor cools air remains consistent, regardless of the settings. However, if you set the temperature between 18 and 21 degrees Celsius, the indoor environment can become very chilly. This often forces people to put on warm clothing, which ends up wasting energy. According to research on comfort, temperatures up to 25 degrees Celsius are generally comfortable for most people, especially when the humidity and airflow are also at good levels.
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