Best Time to Buy an AC in 2026

The prices of AC are increasing day by day. There has been a consistent 5%-15% prices hike on AC every year. The prices of AC are increasing due to the increase in the cost of raw materials and new energy standards for AC. This is eventually affecting the budget for buying an AC.

The BEE has updated the AC norms, and the prices of newly launched 5-star ACs are also affected. The 5-star ACs are now more energy-efficient and consume less electricity as compared to the 3-star ACs. But it's also true that the 5-star ACs are getting costlier than the earlier AC models.

You can buy the AC online at discounted prices during the sale, bank offers, or use the coupons for AC that can give extra discounts during the purchase.

Every year in January and February, there is a launch of new AC models. Once the new model launches, the prices of previous models start to drop. The chart below will make it easier for you to understand the price drops on AC.

Table: Price drops of AC in India

During the new AC launch, you can buy the previous year's models at heavy discounts. The retailers offer lower prices on the previous year's AC models to clear the inventory of earlier AC models.

If you want to buy the newly launched AC, don't buy it immediately; wait for the upcoming sale for the prices to drop. Besides the discounts on the newly launched AC, the other models of AC also have big discounts during the sale.

The major sales times that offer high discounts on air conditioners are discussed below. Continue to read the article to know about the sales that can save you more money while buying an AC.

When it comes to buying the AC online, the sales are the best time to buy AC. There are significant price drops and offers that can be taken advantage of to get extra discounts on AC.

1. Big Discounts at Diwali Sales

Generally, during October and November, there are Diwali sales on various platforms. Buying an AC during this sale can give up to 20%-50% discounts on the AC. After the summer season, Diwali Sale is the best time to buy an AC at the lowest price. You can buy the AC at the best prices from e-commerce platforms like Amazon and Flipkart. Or else, the online retailers like Croma and Reliance Digital also have great offers on AC during Diwali.

2. Flagship Sales at Amazon and Flipkart

The biggest festive sales on Amazon and Flipkart start from the end of September. Flipkart has the "Big Billion Days", and Amazon has "Great Indian Festival", which can offer 50%-60% discount on ACs. There is also the "Flipkart Cooling Days" sale, which is a pre-summer event during March that can be considered to buy an AC.

Both of the shopping platforms, Amazon and Flipkart, have competitive pricing with various deals on ACs. You can buy energy-efficient AC options from premium brands like Daikin, LG, Blue Star, and others at discounted prices.

3. Global deals at Black Friday

Black Friday is a popular online sale for global deals on air conditioners. The sale takes place in the middle or end of November on various online platforms. You can expect a significant discount of 50%-55% on different ACs at various e-commerce sites. The online retailers like Croma, Reliance Digital, and more also have big discounts on different AC brands.

4. End-of-Season-Sale

End-of-season Sales are generally considered as the clearance sales, mostly from December to January. In January, there is the Republic Day Sale, which has deeper discounts on ACs. During these sales, retailers and e-commerce sites offer the previous year's stocks of AC at low prices to clear the inventory. You can get 30%-50% discount on the various AC models, whether the previous year-launched models or other premium 5 Star AC models.   

From above, one thing is very clear: the best time to buy an AC is post-summer, from September to November. And the other good time to buy is before the launch of the new AC model, during the clearance sale, from December to January.

Moving further, let's have a look at the different AC types that fit in different budget categories

Buying an AC depends on the space where it is to be placed, its use, and price range altogether to fit in a budget. Below are the different AC types discussed, with the best time to buy them for better discounts.

1. Split AC: The split ACs are best for medium to large rooms for providing sufficient cooling and are energy efficient. The prices of this type of AC range from ₹25,000 to ₹50,000, depending on the capacity. Split ACs are on high discounts during the post-summer sales, like the Diwali sale.
2. Window AC: For those who want to buy an AC but do not want to invest too much money in it, can get the Window AC. This type of AC is budget-friendly and best for compact spaces. The prices generally start from as low as ₹20,000-₹22,000. You can find great deals on Window ACs during the pre-summer offer, which is in January and February.
3. Inverter AC: The inverter ACs are highly energy efficient for long-term usage. This type of AC is energy efficient and starts from ₹35,000 and can go to ₹60,000. Buying the Inverter AC is a good long-term investment if considered about the efficiency and electricity bills. The best time to buy an inverter AC is during the clearance sales, which are in December and January.

Beyond the sales discounts, you can check more offers that can be used to get more discounts.

While buying the bigger appliances like Air conditioners, only the site discounts are not enough to get extra savings. There are more ways that can help get more discounts on the purchase of an AC.

i. Extra discounts through back debit and credit cards: When buying an AC from any online store, check for the bank offers. The banks like SBI, ICICI, HDFC, and a few more offer up to 10% discounts when payments are made from credit or debit cards, depending on the offers. You can save ₹3000 or more on the total payments just by using the right credit or debit card.

ii. No-cost EMI: It's understood that buying any of the ACs can be a burden to the pocket when it comes to making the full payments. The simple way to buy an AC without making upfront payments is to look for platforms that offer no-cost EMI. With the no-cost EMI, you can split the total amount into installments and pay them every month without paying all at once.

iii. Cashback deals: Some platforms offer cashback on payments with the existing discounts. While making the payments from specific bank cards, you can get up to 10% or more cashback on the prior sale discounts. 

iv. Coupons: The air conditioner coupon codes can easily give 5%-10% or more discounts on AC purchases. The e-commerce sites and online retailers offer coupons that can be used to get more discounts. A trusted coupon website like CouponMoto offers verified coupons that can be easily used to get a discount during checkout.

With the coupon websites, you can get the latest coupon for AC directly through a coupon app, Bribbo. The app can be installed and used forever to get valid coupons and deals.

You can stack the coupons with the other offers to get the maximum discounts. Further, get to know how you can stack different offers for double savings.

There's no complicated process to get extra discounts; just look for the AC that fits all your requirements during the off-season, i.e., winter. Once it's selected, check for the bank offer, if any, applicable to lower the price.

After that, get a discount coupon for AC and stack it with the sale discount and bank offer. You can check CouponMoto for the valid coupon codes for AC and the latest deals that can give instant discounts.

The possible ways to stack coupons with the offers to buy an AC at the best price are given below.

i. Buy AC during the off-season sale and stack with AC coupon code.

ii. Make the payments with a bank discount and stack a discount code for AC during checkout.

iii Look for the best coupon code that can be stacked with any seasonal discount.

iv. Discounted gift cards can be stacked with other sale discounts, bank offer and coupons, to reduce the cost of AC.

Make sure you utilize the coupons for AC in the best way for maximum savings.

If still not decided where and when to buy an AC from, this will help.

Some top e-commerce and retailer sites for buying the AC are mentioned below, which offer significant discounts. Select the platform that fits your requirements and offers better discounts.

- When is the best time to buy an AC on Amazon?

The best deals for AC on Amazon are during the Great Indian Festival sale. The prices of AC go lowest during this sale, which is between September and October. Amazon also has clearance sales when there are 30%-50% discount on the limited stock of AC. With that, you can get the latest AC coupons for Amazon and bank offers that can give extra discounts.

- When is the best time to buy an AC on Flipkart?

On Flipkart, the best time to buy an AC is during the Flipkart Cooling Days sale, which is probably in March, with the most discounts. You can also buy an AC during the biggest sale on Flipkart, the Big Billion Days sale, which offers up to 50%-60% discount. More to this, stack the bank discounts, coupons, and other offers for more discounts.

- When is the best time to buy an AC on Croma?

You can buy an AC from Croma during the festive sales between October to February for the lowest prices on the previous AC models. Even during pre-summer sales, i.e., from March to April, there is 15%-20% extra discount on AC. More to this, Croma occasionally offers up to 5% instant discount on AC prices when paid with a credit card. There are even Croma coupon codes for AC, and other offers that can add to the discounts.

- When is the best time to buy an AC on Reliance Digital?

Reliance Digital offers the best discounts on AC during the pre-summer sales, i.e., Chill Fest sale, which runs between February and March. With the sale discount, there are also bank offers, EMI offers, and coupon codes for AC, which can be used to increase the savings.

Here are key takeaways for making the AC buying process money-saving.

• Avoid buying an AC in summer; instead, buy in winter.

• Prefer to buy previous models, during the launch os new AC models for the deepest discounts.

• Do wait for post-summer sales and clearance sales for significant price drops. 

• Check the warranty of the AC, even if it is at maximum discounts, to avoid later regrets.

• Compare the prices on different sites to ensure the best discounts.

• Find the best AC deals and coupon codes for AC before buying for additional savings.

1. Which time is best to buy an AC?

Considering the best time to buy the AC, the cheapest month to purchase is October to December, which is post-summer.

2. Is winter the best time to buy an AC?

Yes, winter is the best time to buy an AC. You can consider buying an AC between October to February when there are higher discounts because of the lower demand.

3. Do AC prices drop after summer?

Yes, the AC prices start to drop after summer, generally from July. You can get the best discounts on the AC price from October to February.

4. Can I buy an AC with extra discounts?

You can buy an AC with extra discounts during the festive sales and seasonal offers on different online platforms. With that, there are also bank discounts, coupon codes for AC, and more options that can give more discounts.

5. Where can I find discount codes for AC?

You can find the coupon codes for AC on the brand websites or the shopping platforms before buying an AC. There are even social media platforms like Reddit, Quora, and others, which sometimes have discount coupons for AC. You can also look at coupon websites like CouponMoto that offer working discount coupons for AC that can be added during checkout.