Under the Government of India’s Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LEDs for all (UJALA) scheme, Gujarat has become the fastest state in the country to distribute 1 crore LED bulbs in less than 50 days.

Over 20 lakh households in Gujarat have already benefited from the UJALA scheme, under which 9W LED bulbs are being distributed in the state. Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), a joint venture company under the Union Ministry of Power, is implementing the scheme. EESL is distributing approximately 2.5 lakh bulbs daily, an official said here on Friday.

These energy efficient bulbs come with a free 3 year replacement warranty for any technical defect. To avail the bulbs, consumers have an option of paying an upfront amount of Rs. 70 per bulb or they can choose to pay through EMI by paying Rs. 75 in total, where nearly Rs. 20 per LED bulb will be added to their bi-monthly electricity bill for a period of 4 bill cycles. Consumers stand to save nearly Rs. 336 every year on their electricity bills per LED bulb, making the bulbs free to the user in just 3 months.

The distribution of 1 crore LED bulbs has led to an annual energy savings of 129.8 crore kWh which is equivalent to lighting up 2.5 lakh Indian homes for an entire year. Alongside the savings in units, the state has also benefited from daily carbon dioxide emission reduction, Saurabh Kumar, Managing Director, EESL said.

The state government aims to distribute 12 crore LED bulbs across Gujarat. This would lead to energy savings of nearly 650 crore KWh and cost savings of about Rs. 2,500 crore.

Under UJALA, over 13 crore LED bulbs have already been distributed across India. This is leading to a daily energy savings of 4.6 crore kWh and resulting in avoidance of 3,380 MW of peak demand. Through the programme the estimated cumulative cost reduction of bills of consumers, per day is Rs. 18.5 crores.

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