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She changed just one number on her AC remote, and her electricity bill fell by 60%! What she found wasn’t just a marginal difference; it was a jump from roughly Rs 3,500 a month to just Rs 1,292, all just through changing one number on the remote. For two months, Pooja used her AC at 22°C for five to seven hours a day and tracked her bill, and repeated the exact routine- same hours, same habits- but raised the setting to a different temperature. That’s a difference of about Rs 2,208 every month, which she estimated could add up to nearly Rs 26,500 saved over a year if followed consistently. Switching to a warmer setting wasn’t instantly comfortable According to Pooja, “When I started the AC at 28°C, it took a little longer for the room to cool down, but after a while the temperature became comfortable. One user explained, “Raising the setpoint from 22 to 28 cuts the temperature differential with the outdoors, so the compressor cycles less and draws far less power.
Because the appliances run all day long in the heat, although AC is a viable option for relief, high electricity bills follow.
“AC 22°C, usage 5-7 hours/day, bill around Rs 3,500/month,” followed later by, “AC 28°C, usage 5-7 hours/day, bill just Rs 1,292/month, according to her post on X. She said the real proof came later, when her electricity bills started reflecting the change. Pooja also said that people often default to very cold settings without realising the repercussions, “You do not necessarily need to run your AC at 18-22°C,” adding that “the lower you set the temperature, the harder the AC may have to work to maintain that target temperature. Another simply wrote, “Sometimes, saving electricity doesn’t require a big investment, just smart usage,” while a third called it “a simple change in temperature” that nearly halved the bill.
Air conditioners work like lifesavers on hot, sunny, and sultry days, bringing down the temperatures as we return home after a tiring day at work. But a woman seems to have found a crack in this headache. But what exactly did she do to achieve this miracle? Let’s dig in to find out. We have all heard the popular theory that the lower you set the AC’s temperature, the more it costs. But most of us also assume that if we want to actually feel cool, there isn’t much choice. A content creator on X decided to test that assumption herself, and the results she shared have gone viral online. Pooja, who posts as @poojaofficial5, ran a two-month-long personal experiment comparing two AC settings under near-identical conditions. She didn’t buy new equipment, install a smart thermostat, or cut down her AC hours. She simply ‘raised the temperature’. The screenshots and monthly bill comparisons that she posted online quickly caught attention, with users weighing in on the science behind why it worked. She also recommended cleaning AC filters regularly, since dirty filters make the unit work harder for the same cooling effect. The post has gained traction online and has received numerous comments, likes, and shares online. Looking for trusted parenting advice? Follow TOI Parenting Circle on Instagram for expert guidance, relatable stories, and practical tips delivered every day.