Households with air conditioning in India are refilling their refrigerants more frequently than the global average, indicating a new potential area to improve energy efficiency and curb greenhouse gas emissions as cooling infrastructure scales up.
Air conditioners are fast becoming a staple among households in India. Demand for air conditioning has tripled since 2010 across income groups, driven by intensifying summers. India is estimated to add an additional 130 to 150 million new room ACs by 2035.
While the energy consumption of air conditioners has received considerable policy attention, AC leakage has largely gone under the radar. A new survey by the International Forum for Environment, Sustainability & Technology (iFOREST), finds that India required 31 million kilograms of cooling refrigerant in 2024. About 40% of households reported refilling their air conditioning units annually, when normally, air conditioners should be refilled once every five years, according to iFOREST.
Customers buying air conditioners are sensitive to the energy efficiency rating of air conditioners, preferring units with three stars or more, the survey found. However, 68% of customers complained about frequently refilling their units, costing between ₹1200 and ₹2300 for each refill. “Frequent refrigerant refills raise critical concerns about the quality of residential air conditioners services in the Indian market, in addition to user operation and maintenance practices,” says the report.
Refrigerants such as hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) used in air conditioners and other cooling devices are potent greenhouse gasses. HFCs were introduced in the 1990s to replace ozone-depleting refrigerants known as hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs). Nearly all hydrofluorocarbons emissions can be traced to ACs and other refrigerants, contributing to 2% of global greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere.
AC units that leak consume more energy, several studies show. “For a majority of AC owners, the primary service experience is not about repair but being upsold an unneeded service, eroding confidence in technicians,” says the survey.
Improving service delivery and managing refrigerants in air conditioners through a unit’s lifecycle could reduce emissions by 650 million tonnes by 2035, according to iFOREST. “Refrigerant management includes measures to reduce refrigerant leakage, and to ensure proper removal for recycling or disposal. At the moment, we have rules and regulations around preventing refrigerant leakage,” said Chandra Bhushan, founder and CEO of iFOREST.
Banner image: A technician fixing an AC unit. Image by the Photo by Multitech Institute via Pexels.
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