Union Minister for Power, Housing, and Urban Affairs, Manohar Lal Khattar, announced yesterday (June 10, 2025) that the Union government will introduce new regulations to standardise air conditioner temperature settings nationwide, placing limits on how low or high they can be set.
The new directive will make it mandatory for air conditioners across India to operate only within a set temperature range of 20°C to 28°C. This means you won't be able to cool below 20°C or warm above 28°C. Unlike previous advisories from the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), this new rule is intended to be a mandatory requirement.
Additionally, what needs to be observed is that this temperature standardisation thing is a first-of-its-kind experiment in India, which will put the nation among the group of countries with national-level temperature limits.
What is the New AC Temperature Rule? What Will be the Cooling Limit?
The new AC Temperature rule is a bold move towards an energy-saving and sustainable India. In this rule, the citizens won’t be able to set their AC temperature below 20℃ and heat up above 28℃. This rule will be applied to both residential and commercial AC units.
Air conditioners will soon have their temperature range restricted to between 20 and 28 degrees Celsius. This means they'll no longer be able to cool below 20 degrees or heat above 28 degrees, unlike their current 16 to 30 degree range.
The new standardised cooling limits are between 20℃ and 28℃. During these peak, sweltering summers, India's peak power demand reached 241 GW in June 2025, according to Manohar Lal Khattar.
In contrast, last year saw a record of 250 GW. The reduced demand this year, which fell short of the 270 GW projection, is attributed to unseasonal May rains that lessened the need for cooling systems.
Why AC Temperature Rule Needed?
The reason why this rule is required is that with every passing year, the energy consumption in India is increasing day by day. According to the PIB, the cumulative electricity consumed across India during FY 2022-23 was 1440.04 billion units (GWh), which was 9.38% higher than the previous period (FY 2021-22).
Electricity consumption in India grew by 6% in 2024, surpassing 1,800 TWh. According to some forecasts, India's power consumption could reach 3,000 TWh by 2030, growing at about 10% annually.
Electricity is generated from both non-renewable sources, such as coal and natural gas, and renewable sources like hydropower and wind power. Therefore, it is important to bring down this sudden spike in power consumption to a minimal extent.
The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) recommends an indoor temperature of 24 to 25 degrees Celsius for optimal comfort. In fact, since 2020, all star-rated ACs in India are mandated to have a default setting of 24 degrees Celsius.
This isn't just about comfort; raising your AC temperature from 20 to 24 degrees Celsius can lead to significant electricity savings of up to 24%. Every single degree increase in temperature above 20 degrees can reduce energy consumption by an estimated 6%.
AC manufacturers will likely need to reprogram their devices or provide software updates to ensure compliance with the new 20°C-28°C range.
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