New Delhi: Prices of cooling appliances such as room air conditioners and refrigerators may go up 5-10 per cent from January 1, 2026, as the new revised star rating from the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) comes into force.

This hike, which will be applicable from January 1, 2026, will almost offset the price advantage which the consumers have got from the GST reforms in September this year on room air-conditioners (RAC), where duty was slashed 10 per cent.

Besides the fall of the Indian rupee against the US dollar and global increase of copper prices is also putting pressure on manufacturers' margins.

Despite this, leading manufacturers such as Voltas, Daikin, Blue Star, and Godrej Appliances are unfazed and expect this to help to keep the carbon footprints lower.

The new 5-star AC under the new revised BEE norms is 10 per cent more energy efficient; however, it will also increase the prices by around 10 per cent, said Blue Star Managing Director B Thiagarajan. "New 5-star is a new product itself, which in today's context, will be equivalent to 6 or 7-star.