Over 3.80 lakh households are estimated to be receiving no monthly electricity bills due to the installation of rooftop solar projects as part of the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana.
These households were provided with a central financial assistance (CFA) of around ₹2,956 crore, with the average amount disbursed to each residential consumer under the scheme is around ₹77,800.
Under the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana (PMSG: MBY), which was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in February 2024, more than 8.46 lakh households have installed rooftop solar projects on their residences as of January 29, 2025.
Zero power bills
Minister of State for New and Renewable Energy, Shripad Yesso Naik on Tuesday, in a written response in Rajya Sabha, explained that receiving zero electricity bill, in a particular month, after the installation of a rooftop solar plant, depends on various factors.
These are the solar capacity of the rooftop solar plant, solar power generated, the self-consumption of electricity by the consumer who has installed the rooftop solar plant, and the regulations issued by the respective State electricity regulator, he added.
“Therefore, the number of such households is not fixed and is dynamic every month. However, estimates suggest that around 45 per cent of households are receiving zero electricity bills,” the Minister pointed out.
Under the PMSG: MBY, as of January 29, Naik stated that a total of ₹4,308.66 crore has been disbursed as CFA to around 5.54 lakh residential consumers.
Under the Yojana, the entire process, from application to CFA disbursal is online. When all credentials are entered correctly on the national portal, the average time taken to process the CFA is around 15 days after the redemption request is made by the consumer, he noted.
Among the beneficiary States, Gujarat leads the tally with more than 3.51 lakh beneficiary households, followed by Maharashtra (over 1.92 lakh), Uttar Pradesh (73,602 beneficiaries), Kerala (65,423) and Rajasthan (26,622).
The scheme has an outlay of ₹75,021 crore and is set to be implemented until FY27, with the goal of installing rooftop solar power systems on 1 crore households.
Chintan Shivir
In November 2024, the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) held sessions dedicated to promoting the PM Surya Ghar Yojana.
The key takeaways included GST exemption for PM Surya Ghar, to reduce financial barriers for consumers, particularly for small-scale installations.
Sources said that the issue is being taken up with the Finance Ministry, and if approved, it will be placed before the GST Council for their approval.
Other important takeaways include designating a solar city in each State to serve as a model for rooftop solar adoption.
Besides, coordinated incentives and subsidies both by central and State governments for 1 kW systems to ensure affordable solar options for lower-income segments is another important issue suggested at the high-level deliberation between MNRE and states.
The participants at the Chintan Shivir also suggested a grading system for vendors to ensure the quality of equipment and service.