'Are there other ways to reduce the energy airconditioners consume?' asks Ambi Parameswaran.
'For the first time, India will mandate setting airconditioner temperatures no lower than 20 degrees Celsius and no higher than 28 degrees Celsius across all sectors -- including cars -- amid rising temperatures due to climate change and increasing use of cooling systems' -- Union Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar.
India has had a rather patchy relationship with airconditioning. It has often been seen as a wasteful use of energy.
The HVAC (heating ventilation airconditioning) industry did not try to correct this image from 'energy wastage' to 'better work environment/better productivity'.
Public sector banks fell behind when it came to airconditioning their branches/offices, losing an edge to private sector banks.
Government offices, to date, see airconditioning as something reserved for the babus.
We often see airconditioning as a luxury that middle-class families and small businesses cannot afford.
I had a rude awakening just a few weeks ago.
I was speaking with a veteran business leader who chairs the advisory board of a well-reputed university in South India.
He mentioned that all buses bringing students to the campus would be airconditioned starting August 2025.
I was a little surprised and expressed my feeling that the university was 'spoiling' its student body.
The astute leader quickly corrected my view. The commute from home to campus is often over 50 minutes.
The students are tired by the time they reach the campus. With the new fleet of AC buses, they would travel in comfort.
Add to this, there would be free wi-fi on all the buses. What used to be a wasted hour would become productive for the students.
I realised I was wrong to dismiss AC buses as just a sign of vapid comfort.
The thermostat setting of heating (and cooling systems) was a hot topic, figuratively speaking, in the US.
It was President Jimmy Carter, in what is known as the 'Sweater Talk', who suggested that by adjusting the thermostat settings, you could save 50 per cent on your energy bills.
He suggested that daytime temperature should be set at 68 degrees Fahrenheit and at 55 degrees Fahrenheit during the night (that works out to 20 degree Celsius at day and 12 degree Celsius at night).
To make his point, Carter wore a sweater inside his home (if you wear a sweater inside your home in winter, you can set the thermostat to a lower temperature, duh).
Unfortunately, the talk and the president's parsimony (White House airconditioning was turned down and working there became a sweaty affair for more reason than one) was used by his political rivals to ridicule his policies, though the intentions were noble: To reduce energy bills by addressing American's appetite for the energy-guzzling airconditioning systems.
The new directive from the Government of India is in the right direction, but consumers may need to be nudged in ways that go beyond what President Carter did.
Over the last few years, consumers have started looking at 'Energy Star' ratings of durables like refrigerators and airconditioners.
Among airconditioners, the ones with inverter technology are more energy efficient. This needs to be given greater publicity.
Are there other ways to reduce the energy airconditioners consume?
Have you had the experience of waking up in the middle of the night shivering and then turning down or switching off the airconditioner?
Today, consumers can invest in smart airconditioners, one that can be controlled through a smartphone with timer settings.
Or simpler still, they can use smart plugs (wirelessly connected to their smartphones) that can help them set up temperature, and switch off/on at predetermined time intervals.
I am told that a smart digital plug can save almost 30 per cent of your airconditioning bill.
Airconditioning is going to become more and more ubiquitous, with buses, trains and shopping centres getting the AC touch.
Cars, which two decades ago had an AC and a non-AC version, are today available with AC as a standard.
Soon AC will be standard in buses, trains and offices.
Setting the temperature at levels that are comfortable but not too cool is the way to go.
That said, there is this universal law about airconditioning at five-star hotels.
Irrespective of the temperature outside, it is always freezing inside.
I am always armed with a jacket (not a sweater) when I attend any conference in a star hotel.
President Carter did send us the right message, though it cost him a re-election.
Ambi Parameswaran is an independent brand coach and founder Brand-Building.com. He can be reached at ambimgp@brand-building.com
Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff