Keep ACs at 25°C to help ease pressure on grid, expert says

People can help ease pressure on the electricity grid during periods of extreme heat by setting air conditioners to 25°C or 26°C, a sustainable energy expert has said.

Excessively low air-conditioning settings increase electricity demand without necessarily improving comfort, Luciano Mulè Stagno, director of the University of Malta’s Institute for Sustainable Energy, said.

“If people put their temperatures at around 25 or 26 degrees, they will still feel comfortable, especially at night.”

He continued: “If people leave their air conditioners at around 16 degrees, they can feel too cold anyway.”

Mulè Stagno said people who set their air conditioners at very low temperatures often ended up covering themselves during the night, suggesting they were cooling rooms more than necessary.

His comments came as Malta experienced a series of power cuts during the hottest week of the year so far.

Restrictions on air-conditioning temperatures have been introduced in the past. In 2022, government and public sector entities were instructed to set air conditioners no lower than 24°C when cooling and no higher than 21°C when heating. The measure was introduced as global energy prices rose sharply.

Mulè Stagno also advised households to avoid using high-consumption appliances, such as washing machines and dishwashers, during the hottest part of the afternoon.

He said widespread use of energy-intensive appliances at the same time could place additional strain on the network and increase the risk of cable failures.

“The system has improved and is more consistent now but there is still room for improvement.”

Malta experienced widespread blackouts during a week-long heatwave in summer 2023. Malta’s growing population, rising temperatures and increased reliance on air conditioning have contributed to consecutive years of record electricity demand.

Responding to questions about power cuts on Thursday night, Enemalta said it has sufficient electricity generation to meet current demand and stressed the outages were not related to each other.

Temperatures are forecast to feel up to 43°C until Tuesday, with the Meteorological Office issuing a red weather warning. France, the UK and the Netherlands have also experienced heatwaves in recent weeks.

During the 2026 heatwave, European countries generally encouraged limited, efficient air conditioner use while prioritising building cooling, public climate shelters and health protections over widespread AC expansion.

Only about 20% of European homes have air conditioning, compared with 84% of occupied dwellings in Malta, according to the latest census data.