The festive season is approaching, but consumers looking to buy a new air conditioner may have to spend more. LG Electronics India has announced a price increase of 5% to 7% on its air conditioners, with the revised prices taking effect from October 1.

The announcement comes just as consumers prepare for the festive shopping season, when demand for electronics and home appliances typically increases.

LG Announces 5-7% Price Hike

LG Electronics India has confirmed that prices of its air conditioners will increase by 5% to 7% from October 1.

For now, the company has not announced a similar increase across its other product categories. LG sells a wide range of consumer electronics and appliances in India, including refrigerators, washing machines and televisions.

The company has not publicly specified a single reason for the AC price increase.

Why Are Electronics Companies Increasing Prices?

The LG announcement comes amid broader pressure on the consumer electronics industry.

Industry officials have pointed to higher input costs, including increases in the prices of copper, steel and aluminium. Crude-linked components and higher freight expenses are also putting pressure on manufacturers.

Currency fluctuations can further increase the cost of imported components and raw materials.

As these costs rise, manufacturers may pass part of the additional expense on to consumers.

Other Brands Are Also Raising Prices

LG is not the only company considering or announcing price increases.

According to industry reports, several consumer durable manufacturers are planning price revisions around the festive season.

Air-conditioner prices could rise by around 5% to 8%, while some manufacturers are looking at increases of approximately 3% to 4% for products such as washing machines, refrigerators and LED televisions.

Brands including Blue Star, Godrej Appliances, Haier, Daikin and Super Plastronics have reportedly announced or confirmed price increases across various categories.

However, the exact increase can differ depending on the product, model and company.

What Does This Mean for Buyers?

For consumers planning to purchase an AC during the festive season, timing could become important.

A 5% to 7% increase may not sound significant on an individual product, but the additional cost can become noticeable on higher-priced models.

For example, if an AC currently costs ₹50,000, a 5% increase would add approximately ₹2,500 to the price, while a 7% increase would add around ₹3,500, before considering any changes in discounts or taxes.

However, festive-season discounts, bank offers and exchange benefits could partly offset the impact for some buyers.

Festive Sales Could Become More Important

The timing of the price hike is particularly significant because Amazon and Flipkart are also preparing their major festive shopping events.

Consumers may therefore see an unusual combination of higher list prices and promotional offers during the same period.

Whether a buyer actually pays more will depend on the final selling price after discounts, cashback, exchange benefits and other offers.

Should You Buy an AC Before October 1?

If you were already planning to purchase an LG AC and find a good deal before the revised prices take effect, buying earlier could potentially help you avoid the announced price increase.

However, there is no guarantee that today's price will always be lower than the festive-season sale price. Retailers may offer significant discounts even after the price revision.

The best approach is to compare the final effective price rather than simply looking at the MRP.

With raw-material and logistics costs putting pressure on manufacturers, consumers could see more price revisions across the electronics and home-appliance industry in the coming weeks.