PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana is India’s flagship rooftop-solar program designed to help residential households install rooftop solar and get free electricity up to 300 units per month (based on system sizing and generation). The scheme targets 1 crore households by March 2027, and official updates reported 6.3 lakh installations with an installation run-rate of about 70,000 per month during the early ramp-up period.
This guide explains eligibility, subsidy, application flow, net metering basics, and includes a practical ROI calculator you can embed directly in your WordPress post.
What the scheme offers
- Free electricity up to 300 units/month for eligible households via rooftop solar generation.
- Central Financial Assistance (subsidy) with a cap up to ₹78,000 for residential rooftop systems.
- A central outlay of ₹75,021 crore and implementation through FY 2026–27 (as per National Portal of India).
Subsidy and system sizing (quick table)
The central subsidy is commonly communicated as ₹30,000 per kW up to 2 kW, and ₹18,000 per kW for additional capacity up to 3 kW, with the total subsidy capped at ₹78,000 for systems larger than 3 kW.
Typical central subsidy milestones:
Note: State/UT governments may add additional subsidies on top of the central support, depending on local policy.
Who is eligible
PM Surya Ghar is meant for residential electricity consumers who can install rooftop solar on their home (ownership/rights and rooftop suitability matters in practice). The scheme is aimed at empowering households to generate their own electricity, which reduces the monthly bill and can enable net metering benefits.
Common requirements typically include:
- Residential consumer with a valid electricity connection (consumer number).
- Rooftop space suitable for solar installation (shade-free is best).
- Ability to apply via the portal and coordinate DISCOM feasibility + net meter process.
How to apply (simple step-by-step)
The official flow generally looks like this:
- Go to the scheme portal and log in as a consumer.
- Submit an application for rooftop solar with DISCOM details and consumer number.
- Wait for feasibility approval from the DISCOM.
- After approval, install the system via a registered vendor and apply for a net meter.
- After commissioning and DISCOM inspection, submit bank details for subsidy disbursal (often described as within ~30 days after commissioning steps).
What “free 300 units” really means
The scheme’s “free electricity up to 300 units/month” is achieved by generating electricity from your rooftop solar system (not by “waiving” the bill irrespective of usage). If your system generates enough energy, you offset your consumption and reduce your grid bill; if generation exceeds usage, net metering may allow export credits depending on your DISCOM’s rules.
Net metering in plain language
Net metering tracks two things:
- How much solar electricity you use directly at home (highest savings, because it offsets the retail tariff).
- How much solar electricity you export to the grid (often credited at a different rate, depending on DISCOM/state policy).
This is why two homes with the same 3 kW system can have different “ROI” depending on daytime usage (work-from-home vs out all day), AC usage, and local tariff/export credit rules.
PM Surya Ghar ROI Calculator
Change inputs to calculate.
References
- https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=2081250
- https://www.india.gov.in/spotlight/pm-surya-ghar-muft-bijli-yojana
- https://static.pib.gov.in/WriteReadData/specificdocs/documents/2024/aug/doc2024812373601.pdf