Preposterous proposal by the Ministry of Power

The Power Ministry of India has come up with a new proposal, apparently to conserve energy and to curb greenhouse gases. The ministry is planning to make 24 degree Celsius as the default temperature of all the air conditioners across India. Yes, you heard it right and fun fact, it is not even a joke! But, wait you have not heard their logic behind this step. Let us hear them out first before making any judgmental statements (so that we can laugh out harder!).

So they say it is a norm in Japan i.e. the country has made 28 degree Celsius as the default temperature of all the air conditioners across the country. So the government is relying on an established norm in an advanced country, fairly logical, agreed. But, wait can we apply the same logic to India? No. Look at the geographical expanse of Japan, its geographical location and you will understand that it has a more or less coastal climate all over the country, with small possible deviations here and there. This means they can afford to keep the 28 degree Celsius temperature all over the country. And compare it with India where we have almost six climates across the country. Although we have a large coastal line we also have a very big mainland where summer is the harshest weather. This again means we cannot keep a uniform a temperature throughout India. So the bottom line is that it is futile to compare Japan and India on climatic terms, hence what is applicable in Japan may or may not be applicable in India as well.

But this is not the reason why I decided to write this piece. My biggest objection to this move relates to the issue of privacy. By dictating terms about an air conditioner the government is intruding in our homes or rather our bedrooms. This is not acceptable to me. I do not want anyone to tell me how and when should I use my air conditioner. I might wish to use the air conditioner at 17 degree Celsius or at 28 degree Celsius, no government has any right to intrude into the bedrooms of its citizens, for whatsoever and however noble reasons(except for national security). There could be someone who wishes to use the air conditioner at minimum temperature because of his/her climate of the city. 
Also, there is a concept of smart ACs where the ACs adjust themselves until an equilibrium is reached between the temperature of the AC and that of the room. And the best part is it will stop running once this equilibrium is reached. This is done to save electricity and resultantly to curb the GHG emissions.

Another reason given by the ministry is that every increase in the temperature results in conservation of 6% of electricity consumed. And hence this step is going to conserve 20 billion units in one year itself. I agree this is a very noble move. However, the government needs to find out innovative solutions rather than coming out with an illogical diktat. In short, the government has no business in our bedrooms.

"Normal human body temperature is approximately 36-37 degrees Celsius, but a large number of commercial establishments, hotels, and offices maintain a temperature around 18-21 degrees Celsius. This is not only uncomfortable but is actually unhealthy,” said R K Singh, Minister of Power. Yes, we understand your concern for our health but this is not the way you should be addressing the concern.

And instead of putting a curb on the way we use air conditioners, the government can ask the manufacturers to make their air conditioners more energy efficient, maybe think of making 5-star rating mandatory. The government has asked the manufacturers to indicate the optimum temperature on the panel of the air conditioners which is a welcome step because it will help create awareness amongst the consumers. Also, the main reason for Green House Gas emissions is the energy sector in India which is responsible for 71% of GHG emissions.

Whenever we take any decision which is likely to yield positive results for us, we should ask a simple question to ourselves; at what cost? Here, I think privacy, ownership, and authority over private property are the costs that we, as citizens, have to pay if the government takes this decision.

PS: The link to the article is here.

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