Gujarat becomes the fastest state to distribute 1 crore LED bulbs

Gandhinagar: 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 benefitted 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 administration of Ministry of Power, Government of India, is implementing the scheme. EESL is distributing approximately 2.5 lakh bulbs daily.

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 an amount of 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 benefitted from daily CO2 emission reduction of tonnes.

Speaking on the occasion, Shri Saurabh Kumar, Managing Director, Energy Efficiency Services Limited said, “The response from the people of Gujarat has been exceptional. Every home that switches to LEDs is contributing to the idea of an energy efficient nation. We have ensured that the LED bulbs are within everyone’s reach by establishing distribution centres throughout the state.”

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

The list of distribution centres in Gujarat can be viewed on www.ujala.gov.in. For any queries or information regarding UJALA, consumers can also call on the Gujarat helpline 0265- 2343678. During the distribution period, replacements can be done through any of the distribution counters that are operating within the city.

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 INR 18.5 crores.

Communication