What your appliances really cost to run in India: AC, geyser, fan, fridge and cooler

Quick answer

Monthly cost = watts ÷ 1000 × hours a day × 30 × your rate per unit. At about ₹8 per unit, an AC dominates the summer bill, a geyser the winter one; BLDC fans and 5-star ratings are the cheapest savings you can buy.

By Buyrskip Editorial Team Updated 5 October 2026 2 min read

The one formula you need

Every electricity bill comes down to units, and one unit is one kilowatt-hour: a 1,000 W appliance running for one hour. Tariffs differ by state and slab, but ₹7 to ₹9 a unit is common in Indian cities, so the examples below use ₹8.

Monthly cost = (watts ÷ 1,000) × hours per day × 30 × rate per unit.

Monthly costs at ₹8 per unit

1.5 ton inverter AC, 8 hours a night: roughly ₹2,100 a month for a 5-star model, more for a 3-star. See our AC picks.
Ceiling fan, 12 hours a day: about ₹215 a month for a 75 W fan, around ₹85 for a 30 W BLDC fan. See the best ceiling fans.
Air cooler (200 W), 8 hours a day: about ₹385 a month.
15 litre geyser (2,000 W), 40 minutes a day in winter: about ₹320 a month.
Double-door fridge (3-star, frost-free): about ₹170–₹200 a month, all year.

Where the money goes

Anything that heats or cools is expensive: ACs, geysers, room heaters, irons and fridges. Phones, routers, smart speakers and LED bulbs are small change by comparison, so do not lose sleep over chargers left plugged in.

Cheapest ways to cut the bill

Set the AC to 24–26 °C and run the ceiling fan with it.
Swap the most-used fans for BLDC models first; they pay back fastest.
Buy 5-star rated ACs and fridges if you use them heavily.
Put the geyser on a timer or smart plug so it is not heating water all day.
Size inverter backup for fans, lights and the router, and leave the AC off it.

Buy for the bill, not just the price

A cheaper appliance with a worse star rating can cost more within two summers. On Buyrskip every product shows its usual price and key specs, so you can weigh the price tag against the running cost before you buy.

Frequently asked questions

How do I work out the running cost of an appliance?

Divide the wattage by 1,000, multiply by hours of use and by your rate per unit. A 1,500 W heater used 2 hours a day: 1.5 × 2 × ₹8 = ₹24 a day, about ₹720 a month.

What does a 5-star BEE rating save?

For appliances you use many hours, a lot. A 5-star inverter AC can use about a quarter less power than a 3-star one, often paying back the difference in two or three summers.

Do appliances use power on standby?

A little. TVs, set-top boxes and chargers add a few watts each; switching them off at the socket saves a small but steady amount.

Buyrskip Editorial Team

Part of the Buyrskip research team. We compare specifications, documentation and real-world trade-offs so you can decide faster.

How we research products Editorial policy

Buy for the running cost, not just the price

This post is part of the practical advice Buyrskip publishes to help Indian shoppers spend less and regret less. Pair it with our buy-or-skip lists, comparisons and buying guides, which turn the advice into specific models with a clear call and a usual price on Amazon.in. Every call on Buyrskip is independent, and every product shows its usual price on Amazon.in.

How we decide

How we make the call: we read spec sheets, manuals and warranty terms, check how good the service network is in India and track the usual Amazon.in price. A product gets “Buy” only if we would tell a friend to buy it at that price. Brands cannot pay for a verdict.

Pay the right price

Prices on Amazon.in move in a pattern. The deepest cuts land in the Great Indian Festival (around Navratri and Diwali), Prime Day in July and the Republic Day sale in January, usually with extra bank-card discounts and no-cost EMI. Judge a deal against the usual price we show, never against the MRP.

Order from Amazon itself or the brand's own storefront so the India warranty applies, keep the GST invoice and register the product with the brand straight away. For ACs, geysers, chimneys and purifiers, ask whether installation and the demo visit are free before you pay.

Need a hand?

Still deciding? Browse our buy-or-skip lists, put two models side by side in the comparison tool or ask us: we reply within two working days.

Every page shows when it was last updated, and we revise lists whenever a model is replaced or its price shifts a lot. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.

Bookmark the Buyrskip blog for new posts on sales, running costs and smarter buying for Indian homes.

Why listen to Buyrskip

We do not sell anything, and no brand can buy a place on our lists. When a best-seller has a real flaw, we say skip it. Our Amazon.in links may earn us a small commission at no extra cost to you, and it never changes a verdict.

Before you hit buy

Three quick checks save most regrets: the exact model number (variants often change capacity or features), who the seller is, and how long and what kind of warranty you get. Last year's model is often a smart buy when it drops in a sale.

Make it last

Most appliances fail early because of dust, hard water or voltage spikes. Clean filters on schedule, descale anything that heats water, use a surge protector or stabiliser where the manual asks for one, and keep the invoice for warranty claims.