What Indian Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (ISEER) does a 1 to 5 star split air conditioner (AC) need under the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) July 2022 to December 2024 table, and what does it mean in kilowatt hours (kWh)?
The Ministry of Power release's table, valid 1 July 2022 to 31 December 2024, sets split air conditioners at ISEER 3.3 for 1 star, 3.5, 3.8, 4.4, and 5.0 for 5 star. The same load needs 34 percent less power at the band minimums (3.3 against 5.0). A real unit's label ISEER can be higher.
The table, as the Ministry of Power release prints it
- 1 star: ISEER 3.3. 2 star: 3.5. 3 star: 3.8. 4 star: 4.4. 5 star: 5.0.
- The release says this is the table for the period 1 July 2022 to 31 December 2024. It also says the split rating plan includes cassette and floor standing or ceiling mounted units.
- ISEER, the Indian Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio, is defined in the release as the ratio of the cooling seasonal total load (in kWh) to the cooling seasonal energy consumption (in kWh).
What the number means for your bill
Read the definition backwards. Electricity used in a season equals the cooling the room needs in that season divided by ISEER. That is my reading of the definition, not a line from the release. So a unit at the 1 star minimum of 3.3 and one at the 5 star minimum of 5.0, serving the same room for the same hours, differ by 1 minus 3.3 / 5.0 = 34 percent in electricity. The table values are band minimums, so a real unit's label ISEER can be higher and the gap will differ.
The gap between neighbouring stars is smaller at the bottom (3.3 to 3.5) than the top (4.4 to 5.0). Going from 4 star to 5 star saves 1 minus 4.4 / 5.0 = 12 percent of the kWh.
What to check before you rely on it
- The table ran to 31 December 2024. The release does not say what applies after that date, so ask the seller for the ISEER printed on the unit's own label.
- Use the ISEER on the label for the model you are buying. A star count alone hides how far a model sits above its band.
One room, seasonal cooling load of 6,000 kWh, at the band minimums (example)
- 1 star at ISEER 3.3: 6,000 / 3.3 = 1,818 kWh a season
- 3 star at ISEER 3.8: 6,000 / 3.8 = 1,579 kWh a season
- 5 star at ISEER 5.0: 6,000 / 5.0 = 1,200 kWh a season
- Saving, 1 star to 5 star: 1,818 minus 1,200 = 618 kWh
- For the financial year (FY) 2025-26 grid, 0.675 kilograms of carbon dioxide (CO2) per kWh: 618 x 0.675 = 417 kilograms of CO2 a season
The 6,000 kWh load is an example. Your load depends on room size, hours and weather, so use your own hours and the label on your unit.
What Senseible does here
Senseible reads fuel invoices and electricity bills into monthly records, so the kilowatt hours on your bills before and after a change sit in one place.
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Last reviewed 2026-11-05. Bands and the ISEER definition are from the Press Information Bureau release of 10 May 2023, which gives the table valid to 31 December 2024. The kWh arithmetic is a reading of the ISEER definition and uses band minimums. Check the current table with the seller.