New AC rules in India: Government mandates 20-28°C temperature range

NEW DELHI: The central government is set to introduce new guidelines to regulate the usage of air conditioners. Going forward, AC temperatures cannot be lowered below 20 degrees Celsius or raised above 28 degrees Celsius. The new directive was announced recently by Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs, Manohar Lal Khattar. The minister stated that this is an experimental initiative aimed at regulating temperature control.

The new regulation will not only apply to homes and institutions but also to vehicles. The decision has been made in consideration of climate change, rising temperatures, and the excessive use of cooling appliances. According to the Union Minister, the minimum and maximum temperature settings for air conditioners have been fixed at 20 degrees Celsius and 28 degrees Celsius respectively. This aims to standardize air conditioning usage and reduce excessive electricity consumption caused by very low cooling settings. The government's objective is to improve energy efficiency and prevent sudden surges in electricity demand.

Currently, air conditioners available in the market allow temperature settings as low as 16 degrees Celsius and as high as 30 degrees Celsius. As per the Bureau of Energy Efficiency’s 2020 directive, all star-labeled rooms and vehicle air conditioners were previously mandated to maintain a temperature setting of 24 degrees Celsius.