Nearly 3,000 households in Odisha have reported zero electricity bills for the past month after shifting to rooftop solar power, according to residents and officials. The change has been driven by the Centre’s PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, which supports home solar installations through subsidies.
Under the scheme, the Union government provides subsidies of up to Rs 30,000 for a 2 kW system and up to Rs 78,000 for systems of 3 kW and above. The programme aims to expand rooftop solar adoption and reduce household power expenses.
The scheme offers savings of up to 300 units per month on electricity consumption. If households generate surplus power and feed it back into the grid, they are also eligible to receive payment for the exported electricity.
In Ganjam district, rooftop solar systems have been installed at 11,187 locations under the PM Surya Ghar scheme and the Utility-Led Aggregation Model, making it a leading district in Odisha for solar adoption. Officials said 2,943 families in the district received zero bills last month.
A resident from Belagunta, Trilochan Mallick, said he installed a 3 kW system with support from TPSODL (TP Southern Odisha Distribution Limited)—a joint initiative involving the Odisha government and Tata Power—and saw his monthly bill drop from about Rs 800 to zero. TPSODL has supported solar installations for 16,756 homes across southern Odisha, with 4,102 systems currently operational, officials added.
