New AC temperature rule in India: What is it and why government wants to limit AC cooling between 20°C and 28°C

The Indian government is planning a new rule to control the temperature range at which air conditioners can run in the country. Announcing the new provision,

Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar

said “A new provision is being implemented soon regarding air conditioning standards. The temperature standardisation for ACs will be set between 20°C to 28°C, which means we will not be able to cool below 20°C or heat above 28°C.” “This is a first-of-its-kind experiment, aiming to standardize temperature settings,” Khattar added.

What the new AC rule means

Currently, AC temperature goes up to 18°C (16°C in a few) with a maximum of up to 30°C. Once implemented, the new AC temperature provision will restrict this temperature range to 20°C – 28°C. This means users will not be able to set their AC temperature below 20°C and above 30°C. The new rules aim to standardize how air conditioners are used across the country and reduce the high electricity use caused by setting the temperature too low.

The government says that it will keep track of how the new rules are followed. However, exact detail of how this will be enforced, especially in different sectors, has not been specified yet.

Why new rule for AC temperature

During the event, Khattar said that the new AC temperature provision is part of a larger effort to save electricity and manage India’s rising energy demand.One of the main reasons behind the move is to save electricity, especially in summer when power use is at its peak. Many people set their ACs to very low temperatures, even as low as 16°C, which puts a lot of pressure on the power supply. Pankaj Agarwal, a senior official from the power and housing ministry told Bloomberg that air conditioners use about 50 gigawatts of electricity — that’s around 20% of the country’s total power demand.“Studies show that every 1°C increase in AC temperature cuts energy use by 6%. That means if everyone sets their ACs just 1 degree higher, we can save about 3 gigawatts of power during peak times,” Agarwal said. As quoted in Bloomberg report, stricter energy rules for air conditioners could help save up to 60 gigawatts of peak electricity demand by 2035, according to a study by the University of California, Berkeley. This would also avoid the need to spend ₹7.5 trillion (around $88 billion) on building new power plants and upgrading the electricity grid.