Running your AC at 27°C vs 18°C can cut your electricity bill by over 30%

In an effort to promote energy efficiency in air conditioning, the government may issue an advisory to all AC manufacturers and commercial buildings to keep the default temperature setting at 24 degrees Celsius. A common misconception is that setting the thermostat at 18 degrees will cool down a room faster. However, that’s not true. It will take the same amount of time for the room to reach 26 degrees-which is significantly cooler than the average current outdoor temperature of 40 degrees in Delhi-whether you set the temperature at 18 degrees or 26 degrees. Dr Ajay Mathur, Director-General of TERI, observes that the power consumption of an AC does not just depend on the temperature we set it at. Power consumption of AC depends on its star rating, the outside temperature, the hours of usage, size of the room, number of people in the room, insulation in the room, etc.