Kill bill with ‘star’ power

Are raising electricity bills bothering you? Do you want to be one among the crowd, who are getting a cheaper electricity bills? You can save almost Rs.8,000 in a year on your power bill if you are running a split AC in the commercial space.

Consumers are increasingly showing interest on energy efficient air condition systems with better star ratings while buying ACs. The five-star 1.5 ton split AC with usage time of eight hours a day and 252 days year in a commercial office space can see a saving in operating costs of around Rs.8,000, compared to one-star AC with similar usage.

The market is dominated by split ACs of three-star and four-star ratings. Over 70 per cent of the people buying splitting ACs choose three-star and four-star ratings.

ACs with five-star ratings are chosen by 25 per cent of the people, whereas less than five per cent choose a one- or two-star ACs. One-star and two-star ACs have almost vanished from the market with the increasing awareness among people, said SP Garnaik, energy economist, Bureau of Energy Efficiency.

Energy consumption has also become an important factor while choosing an AC over factors such as cost and brand.

An independent consumer survey has reported that 85.4 per cent of the people know about the energy star rating system, compared to 12 per cent in 2008, said Deepak Takkar, senior vice president (Sales) and GM (cold chain), Emerson Climate Technologies.

“Most of the customers are very keen and demanding about star rating. Three-star to five-star ACs make up significant part of our sales. Because of hike in power tariffs, people are looking at higher star ratings.

“The higher the number of stars, the cheaper electricity consumption. However, few people who are looking at shorter usage (three months) are opting for two-star because of the price factor. There is also growth in terms of people asking about star ratings year on year. Especially with refrigerators segment in 250-345 litres, the market is dominated five-star ratings, said P Anand, store manager, Ramakrishna Teletronics.

However, if a customer buys a fiver-star split AC, compared to one-star split AC, it may cost him an extra price of around Rs.8,000. The significant part of the investment comes in the first few years based on the usage. He can save on electricity bills over the period of time, with a typical AC life being 10 years.

The sales person also plays a key role in making a customer chose star rating AC.

“We are intensifying the consumer awareness programme. We will train sales people in 100 cities over next five years, covering 20 cities every year,” added Garnaik.

The consumers can calculate their energy needs by visiting http://www.saveenergy.co.in/ or by ‘AC Power Saver’ mobile app for Android users.

Products with mandatory star ratings

• Frost-free refrigerators
• Tubular fluorescent lamps
• Room split air conditioners
• Distribution transformers

Tags: commercial space, featured, full-image, power bill, split AC

Category: Business, Business News