Air Cooler vs AC

How it works

We multiply each appliance's rated power by hours of use per day, scale up by your monthly tariff (₹/kWh) and compare. Air cooler power draw is ~150–300W (small fan + pump). A 1.5-ton 5-star inverter AC consumes ~1.3–1.5 kW running, but real-world average is 60–70% of rated thanks to compressor cycling once the room reaches set temperature. A 3-star fixed-speed AC runs at full 1.7–1.8 kW the entire compressor-on cycle.

Worked example

A Delhi household running an air cooler 10 hrs/day at 200W uses 60 kWh/month — at ₹6.5/unit (DDA slab) that's ₹390. The same 10 hours on a 1.5-ton 5-star AC averages ~0.9 kW effective, so 270 kWh and ₹1,755 (in the ₹6.5 slab) or upward of ₹2,200 in the >300 unit telescopic slab. Bengaluru tariffs (BESCOM) put the AC closer to ₹2,000/month. Coolers struggle in coastal humidity (Mumbai, Chennai, Kochi) where AC is the only realistic option.

When to use this

• Deciding between a Symphony desert cooler and a Voltas/LG split AC for a Pune 2BHK
• Estimating the summer bump in your TPDDL or Adani Electricity bill
• Sizing the impact of switching from a 3-star to a 5-star inverter AC

Read our deep-dive cooler vs AC cost comparison guide, or check the electricity bill estimator to convert kWh to your discom's slab tariff.