And when you are standing at your remote control of the AC unit, and you are in-between whether the 22C or the 26C is set, and your electricity bill is suddenly appearing like a home loan EMI and you are wondering what you need to do, just change the setting on your remote so that you won’t have to pay a few more rupees each day, you are not alone.
This question has been in my crazy condition these three Indian summers. I have made quite self-evident conclusions between my own experiments, data, which are provided by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) or recommendations of such agency as ISHRAE. And in all fairness, the proper temperature is not what most individuals think it is.
I will guide you through everything I have learnt.
The Short Answer: 24 °C Is the Sweet Spot (But It Depends).
The official recommendation of the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) under the Indian Ministry of Power, is that you set your air conditioner to 24 °C during summer. This became codified in 2018 when the government released an advisory recommending that all ACs in India be defaulted to 24 °C.
Official PIB release quoting the BEE notification Link – https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1598508®=3&lang=2
Prior to that piece of advice, the general population, myself included, could set their ACs at 20 °C or even at 18 °C, believing that a cooler temperature equated to a more comfortable one. It doesn’t. And even the statistics talk of this with quite compelling arguments.
However, the thing is that 24 °C is a recommendation. The temperature you prefer the best, is defined by what city you live in, the humidity, size of your room, and even the type of AC you have, or not. A breakdown of all this will be provided below.
Why Does the Indian Government recommend 24 °C?
This is not some arbitrary number. The 24 °C recommendation is arrived at by a synthesis of thermal comfort studies and data on energy savings. The following is how the figures appear:
| AC Temperature Setting | Approximate Energy Consumption Increase (vs. 24°C) | Comfort Level |
| 18°C | ~28–30% more energy | Too cold for prolonged exposure |
| 20°C | ~18–20% more energy | Comfortable but inefficient |
| 22°C | ~8–10% more energy | Very comfortable |
| 24°C | Baseline | Comfortable for most people |
| 26°C | ~8–10% less energy | Comfortable with a ceiling fan |
| 28°C | ~16–18% less energy | Slightly warm without fan |
The most important thing to understand in this regard is that a 1 °C rise in your AC temperature will save you about 6 percent of your electricity bill. That’s not a trivial number. When you decide to turn your AC to 20 °C and then to 24 °C, you are saving approximately 20 to 24 percent in cooling alone.
In perspective, the typical Indian household unit has to spend between 2,000 and 6,000 rupees every month on electricity in the middle of summer (depending on the city and the hours of use of the ACs). The cut by 20 percent would easily save ₹400 to 1200 per month. In one summer, between April and September in most of India that will cost 2400 to 7200 rupees.
I personally observed a saving of approximately 1,100/month when I changed my running 1.5 tonne split AC to 24 °C when I was in my Pune apartment. Exceed your savings will depend upon the distance, but the savings will exist.
What ISHRAE REALLY says (And Why it is a Little Different)
Although the government suggests 24 °C, there is slightly more nuanced advice of ISHRAE. Their thermal comfort research which is done on Indian specific conditions implies that majority of Indians are comfortable at temperatures of 24°C to 26 °C with relative humidity of 40 to 65 percent.
This matters as the climate in India is not unified. A person in Chennai is operating in completely different circumstances than a person in Jaipur or Shimla. Research by ISHRAE is conscious of the fact that, on average, the Indians are more accustomed to a higher temperature than people in the US or Europe (where the majority of the global HVAC standards are generated).
Their recommendation? Adjust your AC to 24°C to 26°C and have a ceiling fan running. The fan-generated airflow produces an effect of wind-chill that makes the temperature of 26 °C feel like 23 °C on your skin, without the energy expense of actually chilling the room down to 23 °C.
I did precisely this over the last 2 years and I can testify that, 25 C using a medium fan is as comfortable as 22 °C with no fan. The adjustment was made in two days and 22 °C seems now way to Cold. It is faster than you think, your body adapts.
City-Wise AC Temperature Recommendations for India
This is whereby things become more practical. India is unbelievably heterogeneous in climate and one temperature suggestion is certainly not much justice to the variety. According to the average summer temperatures, humidity rates, and my personal findings of the thermal comfort in the region, I would recommend the following:
| City/Region | Average Summer Temp (°C) | Average Humidity | Recommended AC Setting | Notes |
| Delhi NCR | 40–46°C | 30–50% (dry heat) | 24–25°C | Dry heat means 25°C feels quite comfortable |
| Mumbai | 33–38°C | 70–85% (very humid) | 24°C with dehumidifier mode | Humidity is the real enemy here, not temperature |
| Chennai | 35–42°C | 60–80% (humid) | 24°C | Similar to Mumbai; prioritize dehumidification |
| Bangalore | 28–36°C | 40–65% (moderate) | 25–26°C | Many days you might not need AC at all |
| Kolkata | 34–40°C | 70–90% (extremely humid) | 23–24°C | High humidity makes higher settings uncomfortable |
| Jaipur | 38–45°C | 20–40% (very dry) | 24–25°C | Dry air makes even 25°C feel cool |
| Hyderabad | 35–42°C | 40–60% (moderate) | 24–25°C | Moderate humidity, very manageable |
| Ahmedabad | 38–46°C | 30–50% (dry) | 24°C | Extreme outdoor heat, but dry conditions help |
This trend will become apparent, and that is that humidity is equally important as temperature or even more so. In places such as Mumbai and Kolkata, it is not only heat but it is the humid air that will make things sticky and uncomfortable. I would, in fact, consider first using the dry mode of your AC or dehumidifier therein instead of turning it down.
I got this bitter way of learning when I was on a work trip to Mumbai in May. My hotel AC was turned on to 20°C, and the room was cold and yet somehow damp. It was much more comfortable when the dry mode was turned on and the temperature was changed to 24 C. The AC was not merely blowing the cold air, but it was taking the moisture away and that was the difference.
The Science Behind Thermal Comfort (Why 18°C Is Actually Bad for You)
I was of the opinion that the highest power move was to set the AC to 18°C. Optimum cooling, optimum comfort, right? Wrong. And here’s why.
According to the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), thermal comfort refers to a state of mind that is a satisfaction with the thermal environment. Note that it is not coldest possible temperature; it is actually satisfaction. There’s a reason for that.
When you turn your AC to 18 °C or less:
- You have a case of thermal shock when leaving the overly air-conditioned room and entering the air temperature of 40°C+ outdoors. A difference of 22°C that your body has to adapt. Research that has been published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health has associated sudden changes in temperature with the predisposition to respiratory infection, headache, and fatigue.
- You have higher chances of developing sick building syndrome. Very low temperatures, cold and dry air may dry out your throat and nasal passages leaving you susceptible to infection. This is very specific to the Indian offices where the centralised AC systems usually operate at 20- 21°C.
- The quality of your sleep even worsens. According to the research conducted by the National Sleep Foundation the optimal temperature of sleep is 18 °C to 22 °C. However, in the Indian climate (outside temperatures are significantly higher) the abrupt cold of 18 °C may break your circadian clock. Experts of sleep at AIIMS have recommended that 24-26 °C is more befitting to the Indian sleepers, particularly when used together with a light fan.
- Energy wastage is enormous. According to the table above that I have provided, the use of your AC at 18C rather than 24C used 30 percent more electricity. This actually affects the power grid in millions of households in India. In summer seasons, the electricity demand in India is already at the capacity of the grid, with peak demand of over 250 GW being recorded in June of 2025.
Does AC Temperature Setting Affect Electricity Bills? (Real Numbers)
Yes. Significantly. I mean not merely the 6 per cent rule of thumb. I would like to provide you with a few real numbers based on my personal experience and the tariff statistics which are in the public.
A Real-World Calculation
Let’s assume:
- One 5 star, 1.5 ton, inverter split AC (the most popular AC being bought in India at 2024)
- You have it operating 8 hours per day (would be normal in Indian summers)
- The price of electricity in your place is 7 INR per unit (kWh) — it is approximately the average price of electricity in Indian metros.
- Summer months = 5 months (May to September).
| Temperature Setting | Approx. Units Consumed/Day | Monthly Cost (₹) | 5-Month Summer Cost (₹) |
| 18°C | ~9.5 units | ~₹1,995 | ~₹9,975 |
| 20°C | ~8.5 units | ~₹1,785 | ~₹8,925 |
| 22°C | ~7.5 units | ~₹1,575 | ~₹7,875 |
| 24°C | ~6.5 units | ~₹1,365 | ~₹6,825 |
| 26°C | ~5.5 units | ~₹1,155 | ~₹5,775 |
BEE Star Label PDF notification link- https://www.beestarlabel.com/Content/Files/AC_Notification.pdf
The cost of operating your AC at 18 °C or 24 °C during a summer season is about 3,150. It is not life-changing money, but it is not noteworthy either. And you can easily increase those savings two or three times, in case you have several ACs in your home, as many Indian families have.
In the case of non-inverter ACs (which still make up most of the households in India), the variation is even more radical in that such devices are consuming almost the same power with or without being close to the desired temperature. A non-inverter AC would save the user up to ₹5,000-6,000 throughout the summer by increasing the temperature of 18 °C to 24 °C.
Inverter vs. Non-Inverter ACs: Does It make any difference in the Ideal Temperature?
It is a question that I am asked a lot, and the answer to the question is: the optimum temperature is the same (24 °C), however the inverter ACs are much more efficient to process the temperature.
Here’s why this matters:
A non-inverter AC has a compressor whose working cycle is merely on-off. When it is programmed to 24 °C, the compressor will full blast until the room reaches 24 °C, and then it will turn off. Once the temperature enters the range it switches back on full force. This continuous movement is highly unproductive and introduces evident temperature changes in the room.
An inverter AC, however, is able to vary the speed of its compressor. When the room is nearly 24 °C, the compressor does not stop, but it slows down and keeps the temperature steady consuming much less energy. That is why inverter ACs will be able consume 30-50 percent less energy than non-inverter based models with the same temperature setting.
The practical implication? When you have a non-inverter AC and set the temperature to 24 °C, your room will suffer mini temperature changes, it will reduce to around 22 °C, switch off the compressor, and then it will increase the temperature to around 26 °C, then again. You may have to strike a compromise and settle on a slightly higher energy expense in order to achieve truly consistent comfort with a non-inverter unit.
The room remains nearly the same temperature at 24 °C with a fluctuation of very small proportions with an inverter AC. It is actually a much better experience and it is one of the reasons why I always recommend investing in an inverter model when purchasing a new AC.
Compare Inverter AC Brands
Best AC Settings for Sleeping at Night in India
It is where people make the biggest mistake, and I was not an exception. I would have my AC in the bedroom at 20 °C and would sleep under a heavy blanket. It was nice, I tell you, and it was, too priced, but what I found out later was that it was not even helping me sleep better.
Here’s what actually works:
Programme your AC 25 -26 °C at night, sleep mode on, low ceiling fan.
The majority of contemporary ACs include a sleep mode (also known as Good Sleep or Comfort Sleep mode) in which the temperature is raised at a slow pace of 0.51 /hour over the course of the night. This is in fact brilliant engineering since:
- The normal drop in body temperature as you continue to pass through sleep cycles.
- Less cooling is needed as the evening progresses (the temperatures in the outdoors are also decreasing).
- The slow warming also does not allow you to wake up cold at 3 AM.
When sleep mode begins at 25 °C, your AC may be up to 27 – 28 °C in the early morning, and that is quite comfortable with the light sheet on, with a fan on. And the power savings over the alternative of operating the AC at a fixed 20 °C throughout the night are impressive.
I have changed to this arrangement approximately 18 months ago, and my quality of sleep really improved. I no longer woke up with a sore throat, and my monthly electricity bill in the high-season fell by about ₹600/month. Not a bad trade-off.
Room Size and AC Tonnage: their influence on the Ideal Temperature.
One of the things that most people do not consider, but should actually consider is whether their AC is well-sized to suit their room. In case your AC is not the correct size to fit the space, then there is no temperature that would be comfortable. When it is oversized, you are going to waste energy as well as the room may be cold and clammy.
Here’s a quick reference guide:
| Room Size (sq. ft.) | Recommended AC Tonnage | Notes |
| Up to 100 | 0.75 ton | Small bedrooms, study rooms |
| 100–120 | 1.0 ton | Standard bedrooms |
| 150–180 | 1.5 ton | Master bedrooms, living rooms |
| 180–220 | 2.0 ton | Large living rooms, halls |
| 220 – 300 | 2.5 ton+ or multiple units | Consider two ACs for even cooling |
These are the minimum recommendations. You may have to move a size up in case:
- The sunshine is received into your room several hours a day.
- You are on the upper (thermal load due to heat in the roof is very high)
- The room is very spacious with big windows and no blinds or curtain.
- You live in a very hot city such as Nagpur, Churu or Sri Ganganagar where the highest temperature in the summer season is always more than 45 °C.
With a properly sized AC in your room, 24 °C ought to be very comfortable. In case you always seem to set the temperature below 24 °C and still feel hot, then it may not be the temperature that is the cause of the issue, not that the temperature may be too high, but it is possible that the AC is too small to serve the area, or the room is poorly insulated.
Practical Tips to Make 24°C Feel Even More Comfortable
Okay, then you are convinced that 24 °C is the correct environment. But perhaps you have tried it and it does not seem cool enough. These should be tried before you reach out to the remote and turn the temperature down to 22°C:
1. Use Ceiling Fan at the same time.
I have already said this, yet it is necessary to repeat this fact due to the enormous impact. A medium-speed ceiling fan produces the effect of wind-chill of about 3 – 4 °C. That is 24 °C with a fan equivalent to 20 – 21 °C without one. The BLDC fan alone uses less than 30- 35 watts – a quarter of what your AC would use to Cool the room an extra 3-4 °C.
2. Use Blackout Curtains
One of the largest sources of the feeling of room warmness even when the AC is on is the solar heat gain through the windows. Data published by the US Department of Energy suggests that quality blackout curtains may cause a 40 to 50 percent cut in solar heat infiltration. This can be dramatic enough in Indian houses that have large windows facing the west. Last summer I fitted black out curtains in my living room and I felt that my AC was not cycling as often within minutes.
3. Seal Gaps Around Doors and Windows
Most Indian homes are dreadful at this. Cracks under doors, window frames, and around the opening of AC vents allow the conditioned air to escape and the hot air to enter. Even a plain door draught stopper of 200 rupees can raise the efficiency of your AC by a significant amount.
4. Keep the AC Filter Clean
This causes your AC to run harder, philtres less air, and even at the same temperature may cause the room to feel warmer. Wash your air conditioning philtre after every two weeks on the hottest time of the year. I have a regular reminder on my phone about this, and I mean that it really works. The majority of split AC filter may be drawn out and sprayed under running water – it will not require more than 5 minutes.
5. Don’t Cool Empty Rooms
This may sound like a truism but I can observe it everywhere. When you are going out of a room that will take you over 30 minutes, switch off the AC. Modern inverter ACs have the capability of heating a room up to 24°C in 1015 minutes; therefore, it is unnecessary to run it continuously as it could occur by accident.
6. Set the Fan Mode to Auto
The majority of individuals will put their AC to high fan speed and leave it. But Auto mode is even smarter, it regulates the fan speed according to the temperature difference between the temperature in the room currently and the temperature you set it to. This leads to a lower level of noise and a slight increase in energy efficiency once the room is already cool.
What About the “26°C Campaign”?
You may have noticed different campaigns on social media and news outlets that encourage Indians to turn their ACs to 26 °C instead of 24 °C. This has been supported by former Power Minister R.K. Singh, a number of environmental organisations and most recently, by the updated Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC) 2024.
Source: https://www.pib.gov.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=180130
The reasoning is simple: when all the AC users in India increases their thermostat by only 1 °C, the cumulative energy conservation would be enormous. The India Cooling Action Plan (ICAP) published by the Ministry of Environment estimates that the number of ACs in India had reached 80+ million in use as of 2023 and it is increasing at a rate of about 15% a year.
The math is convincing at the national level:
- 80 million ACs × 6% energy savings per degree × average 6 hours/day × 150 summer days = truly meaningful saving of peak electricity demand.
My personal level of comfort is 26, and I use a fan to maintain this temperature, only reducing it to 24 on the hottest days (when the outside temperature goes above 38 °C in my city). In case 26 °C is comfortable to you, then so. Its pocket and the electricity grid will be grateful.
Nevertheless, I would not make myself feel sick at 26°C when it is really unbearably hot. The cost of being uncomfortable in terms of productivity, particularly working at home, is unlikely to be justified by the savings of ₹200 to 300 a month. Experiment and determine what temperature fits you best between 24 °C and 26 °C and use it.
Common Myths About AC Temperature Settings in India
I want to break a few of the myths that I believe are being perpetuated every minute since some of them are costing people money and comfort that they do not need.
Myth 1: The Higher set your AC the faster it will cool the room.
False. Your air conditioner does not cool any quicker when at lower position. Regardless, it cools with the same rate – the compressor is fixed (variable, inverter units) cooling capacity. Having it set to 16 °C just indicates that the compressor will run longer until it gets to the specific temperature (which it is unlikely to ever reach during summer in an Indian room). Preheat it to your desired temperature.
Myth 2: Activating and deactivating the AC Consumes More Electricity than just Leaving it On.
Inverter ACs are mostly false. To some degree this myth was true in older non-inverter models, where the startup of the compressor could cause a surge of power to flow. However, the current inverter ACs with soft-start compressors do not require large startup current. When you are leaving the room and you will be spending 30 or more minutes, then you can turn off the AC to save on energy.
Myth 3: But AC Temperature and Room Temperature are One Thing.
Not quite. When you use the remote control of your AC, the temperature that you are aiming to achieve is the target temperature, not the room temperature. The real temperature inside your room may be up to 1-3C above what you have set depending on the insulation of your room, the number of occupants, heat producing appliances and even the weather outside. This is quite natural and this is why a well insulated room is a big difference.
Myth 4: The Bigger the AC, the Better the Cooling, So You Can Turn the Temperature Higher.
To some extent, yet deceptive. Yes, an over-sized AC will cool the room quicker. However, it will also be short cycling (turning on and off too often) and this lowers the effectiveness of dehumidification and in fact may make the room feel cooler even though the temperature is at the correct level. It is much better to size it properly than simply make it bigger.
My Personal AC Settings (What I Actually Use Day-to-Day)
I guess I ought to tell what I really do at my own home as I have been trying out various setups over the last three summers. Here’s my current setup:
- Day (at home, working): 25 °C, fan mode Auto, ceiling fan on medium. This makes my office at home comfortable without leaving me sleepy. I believe that 24 °C occasionally puts me in a state of being too relaxed at the time I should be productive.
- Paul afternoon heat (2 PM -5 PM): 24 °C, fan high, ceiling fan medium. It is at this point when the weather in Pune is at its hottest (36- 40 ) and the room requires a modest amount of cooling to offset the heat gain in the walls and windows.
- At night to sleep: 26 °C and the sleep mode is enabled, the ceiling fan is set at low. Sleep mode incriminates gradually to approximately 28 °C by early morning and this is not a problem since outdoor temperature drops to 24 -26 °C by that time.
- Monsoon season (July 30 September): I can hardly cool the AC. I instead operate it in dry mode and set it at 26C within a period of 1-2 hours to dry it. This is a lot more energy saving than cooling mode and overcomes the primary cause of discomfort in monsoons.
This arrangement holds down my summer electricity bill at approximately 3500-4000/month in my 2BHK apartment with two air conditioners (inverter of 1.5 tonnes in the bedroom and 1 tonne in my home office). I used to spend ₹5,500- 6,000 /month before optimising my settings. A 30 to 35 percent savings by becoming smarter about temperature control and using ceiling fans is that.
Frequently Asked Questions
For most people, yes. Together with ceiling fan, 24 °C offers comfortable cooling when the outdoor temperature is more than 40 °C. It can then also require 23 days to get adjusted to it, provided that you are used to lower temperatures, however, the majority find 24 °C to be fine as soon as they have gotten used to it.
The Bottom Line
If you take nothing else away from this article, remember these three things:
- Set your AC to 24°C as a baseline. It’s the government-recommended setting, it’s backed by thermal comfort research specific to India, and it offers the best balance of comfort and energy efficiency.
- Always use a ceiling fan with your AC. The wind-chill effect lets you set the thermostat 2–3°C higher while feeling just as cool, which translates to 12–18% energy savings.
- Humidity matters as much as temperature, especially in coastal cities. Use your AC’s dry mode during monsoons and in humid conditions — it’s often more effective than dropping the temperature further.
Indian summers are brutal, and air conditioning has gone from luxury to necessity in most urban households. But there’s no reason to freeze yourself (and your bank account) when 24°C with a fan is perfectly comfortable. Your body adjusts within a couple of days, your electricity bill drops meaningfully, and you’re putting less strain on a power grid that’s already stretched thin during peak summer.
Take it from someone who spent two years experimenting with every possible AC setting in a Pune apartment — 24°C is the answer. Save your money for something more fun than electricity bills.
