Hyderabad: The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), a statutory body under the Union Ministry of Power, said it has intensified its energy conservation campaign to promote responsible air conditioner (AC) usage. BEE has called on citizens and commercial establishments across Hyderabad and major towns to maintain air conditioners at a default setting of 24°C.

With a population exceeding 90 lakh and a massive residential and commercial consumer base, BEE has identified Hyderabad as one of the key focus cities in the energy-saving drive that promotes energy-efficient cooling to tackle rising temperatures and encourages cost-effective AC usage to benefit both consumers and the environment.

Milind Deore, Secretary, BEE, has emphasised on the need for Telangana State Renewable Energy Development Corporation (TSREDCO) State designated agency (SDA) to launch a focused awareness campaign targeting homes, offices, malls, hotels, and government buildings in the city.

“Hyderabad’s energy consumption pattern also directly impacts national power stability and climate targets. A collective shift to 24°C AC settings could be a game-changer,” Deore said during first-phase of interaction with key SDAs. Directors Abhishek Sharma and Kamran Sheikh were also present.

V Aneela, Managing Director of TSREDCO, confirmed that the agency will take up this initiative on a war footing across Hyderabad and Telangana.

BEE has urged AC manufacturers to set 24°C as the default factory setting for all new air conditioning units. “If even 50 per cent of Hyderabad’s consumers adopt this practice, we could significantly cut power demand and emissions,” Deore added.

BEE has emphasised that the initiative must be aggressively implemented in high-consumption zones such as hotels, IT parks, airports, shopping malls, and public offices. One AC unit running for 8 –10 hours daily can emit nearly 10 kg of CO₂, making efficient usage essential for combating climate change, an official BEE release mentioned.

According to BEE estimates, increasing the AC temperature setting by just 1°C can reduce electricity usage by up to six per cent, up to 20 billion units of electricity can be saved annually, financial savings could touch Rs 10,000 crore in the country, and carbon emissions could drop by 8.2 million tonnes per year.