Difference Between 3-Star and 5-Star ACs: Which AC is best for you?

Energy efficiency comes at a price but just how much are you willing to spend?

Air Conditioners are among the highest power consuming appliances in one’s home. This is why, to save power, several of us set the AC on timer so it turns off in the night after the room is sufficiently cooled down.

But with temperatures soaring all over, air conditioners are no longer a luxury. No matter whether you’re staying in a single-room tenement or a sprawling flat in a skyscraper, AC has become essential to our lives.

Like most major appliances, an AC is also a long-term investment; you’re unlikely to change it every couple of years. So, it would stand to reason that you’d only buy one after carefully evaluating your needs.

Depending on how large a room you’d like to cool, whether your window or wall has a space for it, and how much you’ve set aside for to buy a new AC, you will decide between the tonnage (0.8 Ton to 4 ton), the type (Split AC or Window AC), and the budget.

Depending on how large a room you’d like to cool, whether your window or wall has a space for it, and how much you’ve set aside for to buy a new AC, you will decide between the tonnage (0.8 Ton to 4 ton), the type (Split AC or Window AC), and the budget.

However, one of the most important differentiating factors between ACs is their energy rating.

Appliances such as ACs, refrigerators, washing machines, even some televisions come with a prominently displayed star rating. This star rating is indicative of just how energy efficient the appliance is. Standardised by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), the rating ranges from one star to five stars.

An AC is assigned a star rating based on two conditions - its ability to cool a room (cooling capacity) and how much power is consumed to provide that cooling. A five-star rating is considered the highest, 1-star rating the lowest. The star rating of an AC is typically displayed as a sticker on the device near the brand logo or it is listed alongside other specifications online. The 3 Star AC and the 5-star AC are the most popular types.

Simply put, a 5 Star AC is the most energy efficient and a 1 Star AC the least. The more energy efficient your AC is, the more you save on your power bills. An AC with a higher rating also cools better, more uniformly, and more efficiently.

Typically, a 5 Star AC will help you save up to 28 per cent more energy than a 3 Star AC.

In terms of energy consumption, a 0.75 Ton 3 Star AC consumes approximately 524 Watts, whereas a 5 Star AC with a similar tonnage consumes about 450 Watts. 1 Ton 3 Star AC consumes 747 Watts while a 1 Ton 5 Star AC consumes 554 Watts. Similarly, a 1.5 Ton 3 Star AC and 5 Star AC consumes 1104 and 8740 Watts respectively.

In real world money terms, you can save about Rs 3,000 annually on a 1.5 Ton 5 Star AC than on a 1.5 Ton 3 Star AC.

If you’re using your AC for extended periods of time, you would be better off with a 5 Star AC as it tends to cool the room faster and will help you keep your power bills down. A 3 Star AC is great if you’re only using it intermittently.

The inverter technology is the latest innovation in air conditioners. It helps the compressor to run at a more stable pace and at optimum levels and thus conserving energy.

Obviously, a 5 Star AC costs more than a 3 Star AC and this may well play an important role in deciding which AC is best for you.

You can buy the best 5 Star ACs and the best 3 Star ACs from your nearest Croma store or buy ACs online on Croma.com. Avail of Croma’s multiple value-added services and extended warranty to keep your AC in top shape even years after you’ve bought it.

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