Experts’ tips on how to save on your AC bill this summer

Summer in India is at its peak. As the temperatures in several parts of the country near 50 degrees Celsius, many households have already started relying heavily on air conditioners (AC) to get through the day. From afternoons that feel unbearable to nights that offer little relief, ACs are now running for longer hours than they did just a few years ago. While the cooling is welcome, the monthly electricity bill that follows often isn't.For many families, higher power bills seem unavoidable during summer. Rising temperatures and longer cooling hours naturally increase electricity consumption. However, experts say a sizable portion of those costs can be controlled through smarter usage habits, regular maintenance, and informed purchasing decisions.In many cases, people spend hundreds or even thousands of rupees more than necessary because of simple mistakes such as setting the thermostat too low, neglecting to clean the filters, using the wrong AC size for the room, or allowing cool air to escape through gaps in doors and windows.The good news is that lowering your electricity bill does not necessarily mean compromising on comfort. A few practical adjustments can help your AC cool more efficiently while consuming less power. Here are the most important things to keep in mind this summer.One of the most common misconceptions about ACs is that setting the temperature lower helps the room cool faster. It doesn't. An air conditioner cools at a fixed rate regardless of whether you set it at 18°C or 24°C. The difference is that a lower temperature forces the compressor to run longer, consuming more electricity.The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) recommends setting room air conditioners at 24°C as an optimal balance between comfort and energy efficiency. Several studies suggest that every degree below 24°C can increase electricity consumption by approximately 6-8%.That means running your AC at 18°C instead of 24°C could significantly increase power consumption without providing a commensurate improvement in comfort. A more effective approach is to keep the temperature between 24 and 26 degrees Celsius and have both the ceiling fan and the AC running. The fan helps improve circulation and creates a cooling effect through wind chill.As Jayant Balan, Head of Voltas Room Air Conditioners Business, explains: "Indian summers are becoming increasingly intense, making efficient cooling more important than ever. Understanding wattage is critical, as it directly affects both cooling performance and energy consumption. Choosing an inverter AC with the right capacity and optimised wattage for the room ensures faster, consistent cooling while avoiding unnecessary power usage. Higher wattage does not always mean better efficiency; smart cooling lies in how effectively the AC adapts to demand.At the same time, advancements in technology are making air conditioners smarter and more energy efficient. By intelligently managing performance in real time, these features not only enhance convenience but also help you save on electricity bills.Simple habits such as keeping temperatures between 24°C and 26°C, cleaning filters regularly, and sealing air leaks further improve efficiency. As cooling becomes a necessity, consumers are increasingly adopting smarter, tech-enabled solutions that balance comfort, convenience, and energy savings."Vasudeva G, Director at Acerpure India, echoes a similar view: "One of the biggest misconceptions consumers have is that lowering the AC temperature drastically will cool the room faster. In reality, it often increases power consumption without significantly improving cooling efficiency. Simple practices such as maintaining the AC between 24°C and 26°C, using sleep or eco modes, and cleaning filters regularly can help reduce electricity bills during summer.Consumers today are also paying closer attention to long-term operating efficiency while purchasing air conditioners. As Indian summers become more intense, energy efficiency and reliable performance are becoming key factors influencing consumer decisions."Many people believe that running the AC while a ceiling fan is on wastes electricity. In fact, it often has the opposite effect. A typical ceiling fan uses about 50 to 75 watts an hour, compared to an air conditioner. The fan evenly circulates cool air throughout the room, allowing you to turn the thermostat up 1 or 2 degrees without losing comfort.This small adjustment can reduce overall energy consumption substantially over an entire summer. Energy-saving experts also recommend switching off the fan when the room is unoccupied. Fans cool people, not rooms. Leaving them running in an empty room only adds unnecessary electricity usage.Your AC's job is to cool the air inside your room. On days when the sun streams into the windows all afternoon, the cooling system has to first combat the heat from outside before it can make the room comfortable. This is a common problem in rooms with big west- or south-facing windows.Heavy curtains, blackout blinds, or reflective window films can dramatically cut heat gain. By pulling the curtains before direct sunlight enters the room, you can prevent unnecessary temperature rises and reduce the AC's workload. This is one of the simplest energy-saving measures available and often requires no additional investment if curtains are already installed.Even a well-maintained air conditioner will struggle if cool air constantly escapes from the room. Small gaps around doors, windows, and ventilation openings allow warm air to enter while conditioned air leaks out. As a result, the AC runs longer to maintain the desired temperature.Weatherstripping, door seals, and simple draft blockers can reduce cooling loss considerably. According to energy-efficiency recommendations, sealing air leaks can lower cooling loads by around 10-15%. The benefit becomes especially noticeable in homes where the AC runs for long periods every day.If there's one maintenance task every AC owner should learn, it's cleaning the filters. Clogged filters reduce airflow, forcing the system to work harder to push cool air into the room. Over time, this reduces cooling efficiency and increases power consumption. Many manufacturers recommend cleaning filters every 2 to 4 weeks during the peak summer months. Homes located in dusty areas may require more frequent cleaning. The process usually takes only a few minutes. Remove the filters, rinse them under water, allow them to dry completely, and reinstall them. The impact can be immediate. Cleaner airflow often means quicker cooling and lower energy usage.Many people wait until their AC develops a problem before calling a technician. That approach often ends up costing more. Routine servicing helps identify issues before they affect performance. Professional maintenance typically includes cleaning evaporator and condenser coils, checking refrigerant levels, inspecting electrical components and ensuring proper airflow.Experts recommend scheduling a complete service before the start of summer rather than during peak season when service centres are busiest. A well-maintained AC not only consumes less electricity but also tends to last longer.Low refrigerant levels reduce cooling efficiency and force the compressor to work harder. However, the refill process itself can also affect long-term performance.Many technicians focus solely on adding refrigerant, skipping the vacuuming step that removes air and moisture from the system. Moisture left inside the refrigerant lines can reduce efficiency and shorten compressor life.Whenever refrigerant is being recharged, ask specifically whether proper vacuuming is being performed before the refill. It is a small question that can prevent larger problems later.Modern ACs come equipped with features specifically designed to save energy. Sleep Mode gradually increases the temperature during the night when the body's cooling requirements naturally decrease. This prevents overcooling while reducing compressor workload.Similarly, timers allow the AC to switch off automatically after a set period. Many people fall asleep with the AC running and wake up several hours later in an already cool room. Using timers ensures the system doesn't continue consuming electricity unnecessarily. Over the course of a summer, these features can contribute to meaningful savings.Sometimes the biggest savings begin before the AC is installed. Consumers often focus on purchase price while overlooking long-term operating costs. An energy-efficient model may cost more initially but save substantially over its lifetime.Mr Sunil Kumar, Business Head of Residential AC Business, LG Electronics India Limited, explains, "Honestly, summer in India isn't what it used to be. Temperatures are regularly crossing 45°C across several states, and an air conditioner today isn't a seasonal purchase; it's a year-round essential. And it's one of the longer-term decisions a household makes. So, it's worth getting right.The biggest lever on your electricity bill? It starts before you even switch the AC on; it starts with what you buy. The ISEER rating is India's official BEE energy-efficiency metric, and it's the most reliable indicator. A higher ISEER means lower electricity consumption, not just on the hottest days, but consistently across the year. The star rating, from 2 to 5, is the simpler way to read that. What we see time and again is that consumers gravitate towards the lower-priced, lower-rated model at the point of purchase. But the long-term economics tell a very different story. A 5-star AC will save you significantly more over its lifetime than the price gap at the time of buying.Capacity is equally critical, and equally underrated. An oversized AC short cycles, it cools too fast, switches off, and wastes energy. An undersized one just runs and runs at full load. Both end up on your electricity bill at the end of the month.Then there are the everyday habits. Keep your temperature consistent; around 24°C works well, rather than swinging it up and down. In humid weather, try Dry Mode over conventional cooling; it's more efficient and just as comfortable. And clean your air filter every two weeks. A clogged filter is genuinely one of the most common reasons for high bills, and the easiest to fix.The right AC, used smartly, should never leave you surprised when the bill arrives."Mimoh Jain, Chief Business Officer of Sharp Business Systems (India), also highlights the importance of choosing the right technology and using it efficiently. He said:"With temperatures rising across the country, consumers are increasingly looking for cooling solutions that deliver comfort without significantly increasing electricity bills. One of the most effective ways to reduce energy consumption is to choose an inverter AC with a high energy-efficiency rating and ensure that it is appropriately sized for the room.Simple practices such as maintaining the temperature between 24°C and 26°C, cleaning filters regularly, keeping doors and windows closed while the AC is running, and using sleep mode can make a noticeable difference in power consumption. Regular servicing is equally important because even a highly efficient AC can consume more electricity if it is not maintained properly.Today's smart air conditioners are designed to optimise cooling based on room conditions and user behaviour, helping consumers strike the right balance between comfort and energy savings." If replacing an older unit, inverter technology deserves serious consideration. Inverter compressors, unlike traditional fixed-speed compressors, do not turn on and off repeatedly; instead, they modulate their speed to match the cooling needs of a given application.This means more even temperatures and less energy consumption. Industry estimates suggest that inverter ACs can use 30-50% less electricity than older non-inverter models under similar conditions. For households that use air conditioners for 8 or more hours a day, savings can become noticeable over a few summers.Retailers are increasingly seeing buyers paying closer attention to running costs rather than just purchase prices. According to Shibashish Roy, CEO & MD, Infiniti Retail Limited (Croma): “Consumers today are becoming far more conscious about balancing comfort with energy efficiency, especially during peak summer months. Features such as inverter technology, eco mode, smart Wi-Fi connectivity, intelligent temperature control, sleep mode, turbo cooling, and air purification filters are increasingly influencing purchase decisions.Simple measures such as setting the AC between 24–26 degrees, regular filter cleaning, and using energy-saving modes can also help reduce electricity consumption significantly. We believe energy efficiency is increasingly becoming a key purchase driver for consumers this summer."With rising electricity costs, energy efficiency is more important than ever. But you don’t need to make dramatic changes to your lifestyle to save money on cooling. Set thermostat to 24°C, use ceiling fans, clean filters regularly, seal air leaks, block direct sunlight and service the AC before summer. All these can go a long way in reducing your cooling costs.As temperatures rise across much of India, these habits can help households stay comfortable without their electricity bills rising in tandem. The reality is that while no one can control the summer heat, people have far more control over their cooling costs than they often realise.