As Delhi battles extreme heat and rising fire incidents, discoms warned that overloaded household electrical systems, ageing wiring and irrational use of air-conditioners are emerging as major safety concerns.
In the Malviya Nagar tragedy and 2,663 fire-related calls in April alone, most of these incidents highlighted the growing strain on residential electrical infrastructure during heatwaves like electrical panels, wiring systems and cooling appliances.
Speaking exclusively to The Tribune, senior officials of discoms said rising temperature and surging power demand had placed additional stress on electrical systems, increasing the risk of overheating, equipment failures and electrical fires from short circuits.
It was also pointed with grave concerns that excessive electricity consumption, particularly from air-conditioners (ACs), can overload circuits and trigger short-circuits when wiring and electrical installations are not equipped to handle peak summer demand.
An official said, “The problem is often rooted inside homes rather than in the external power network. Faulty wiring, loose electrical connections, overloaded circuits, damaged cables and poorly maintained appliances are among the most common causes of residential fires.”
There have been instances where several homes have electrical systems that were not designed to support the load generated by multiple air-conditioners and other high-power appliances operating simultaneously specially during summer months.
The risks are also associated with old and poorly maintained air-conditioners. Such units consume more electricity, place greater stress on circuits and are more vulnerable to component failures that can lead to overheating and fires.
“Obstructed airflow, damaged insulation and improper repairs in air-conditioners further increase the risk,” another discom official said.
While the Centre is considering guidelines that would standardise AC temperatures between 20°C and 28°C, the utility has recommended that consumers operate air-conditioners at 24°C. According to the advisory, the setting can reduce electricity consumption while helping cooling systems operate more safely and efficiently.
On June 10 2025, Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar announced that the government will soon make it mandatory for air-conditioners across India to operate only between 20 degrees Celsius (C) and 28 degrees C.
“Regarding air-conditioning standards, a new provision is being implemented soon. The temperature standardisation for ACs will be set between 20 degrees Celsius and 28 degrees Celsius, meaning we won’t be able to cool below 20 degrees Celsius or warm above 28 degrees Celsius,” Khattar said in a press conference.
He said, “This is to bring uniformity to air-conditioning use and help reduce excessive power consumption due to extremely low cooling settings.”
India’s energy demand during peak summer days in May 2026 has already crossed an all-time high. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), the country’s cooling demand is projected to increase tenfold by 2050, making energy efficiency in this sector more urgent than ever.
Setting a 20 degrees C lower limit helps reduce grid stress, encourages smarter AC use and promotes energy-efficient appliances. Countries like Japan have already adopted similar practices, with recommended AC settings at 28 degrees C.
With Delhi’s heat becoming longer and more intense, the discom’s analysis is clear, which is, the city’s fire risk is increasingly being shaped not just by soaring temperatures, but by the condition of the electrical systems people rely on to escape them.
