New Delhi, July 27 -- The moment the room started feeling stuffy, I would grab the AC remote and drop the temperature to 20degC. For a few minutes, it felt satisfying. Then came the electricity bill.

What surprised me was learning that I didn't need a colder room. I simply needed better air movement.

That's when I tried something most energy experts recommend: keeping the AC at 24degC and running the ceiling fan at a medium speed instead of blasting it at full. It sounded too simple to make a difference, but within a couple of days, the room felt just as comfortable, and I wasn't constantly reaching for the remote.

Like many people, I assumed my air conditioner was doing all the cooling. In reality, the ceiling fan had an equally impor...