PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana 2026: Eligibility, Subsidy, Apply Online and Complete Guide

What Is PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana?

PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana is a national rooftop solar programme for residential households. It was launched in February 2024 to expand household rooftop solar, reduce dependence on conventional grid electricity and help residential consumers generate electricity at their own premises.

The programme has a total approved outlay of ₹75,021 crore and is scheduled to be implemented up to the financial year 2026–27. Its wider target is to support rooftop solar installations for one crore households. Eligible consumers apply through the National Portal, select a registered vendor, complete installation and obtain verification from their electricity distribution company, commonly called the DISCOM.

PM Surya Ghar Scheme Snapshot

The programme has expanded rapidly. In an official update published in June 2026, the Ministry stated that the scheme had crossed 40 lakh beneficiary households, while more than one crore households had registered on the National Portal. Such figures change over time, so readers should treat them as a dated programme update rather than a permanent eligibility rule.

Main Benefits of Installing Rooftop Solar Under the Scheme

Actual financial savings depend on multiple factors: installed capacity, sunlight, shade, roof direction, household consumption pattern, local tariff, metering rules, equipment performance, maintenance and the final price agreed with the vendor. No website or vendor should promise the same electricity saving to every household.

Who Is Eligible for PM Surya Ghar Subsidy?

Eligibility is linked to the residential electricity connection and the rooftop solar installation—not merely to a person’s name or income category. A household should check the following basic conditions before beginning the application.

• The applicant should have a valid residential electricity consumer account or consumer number with the local DISCOM.
• The proposed solar plant should be connected to the electricity grid and associated with the residential power connection.
• The installation should be placed on an eligible roof, terrace, balcony, elevated structure or another permitted building-integrated location.
• The applicant should use a vendor registered on the PM Surya Ghar National Portal to claim Central Financial Assistance.
• The solar modules used for a subsidised installation must meet the applicable Domestic Content Requirement.
• The installation must meet the technical specifications and pass the required DISCOM inspection or verification.
• The applicant must provide valid bank-account proof for processing the financial assistance.

Who Is Generally Not Covered by Residential CFA?

• Commercial, industrial and other non-residential electricity consumers under the residential CFA component.
• Completely off-grid solar installations that are not covered as eligible grid-connected systems.
• Installations using non-DCR modules where DCR compliance is mandatory for subsidy.
• Systems installed through an unregistered vendor when registered-vendor installation is required for CFA.
• A relocated system attempting to claim a second subsidy after already receiving CFA.

PM Surya Ghar Subsidy Amount for 1 kW, 2 kW and 3 kW

The standard Central Financial Assistance is calculated using the rated DC capacity of the eligible solar modules. The maximum standard household subsidy is reached at 3 kW. Installing a larger system may still be useful for a high-consumption home, but the capacity beyond 3 kW does not receive additional household CFA under the standard structure.

Higher Rates for Special-Category States and Union Territories

The notified guidelines provide a higher CFA rate for Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, the North-Eastern States including Sikkim, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and Lakshadweep.

Does the Scheme Guarantee 300 Units of Free Electricity Every Month?

No household should interpret the phrase “up to 300 units” as an automatic monthly cash benefit or an unconditional supply of exactly 300 free grid units. The intended benefit comes from electricity generated by the rooftop solar system and adjusted according to the applicable metering and billing rules.

A household may achieve a very low or even zero electricity-energy charge in some billing periods when solar generation and credits are sufficient. However, the final bill can still include fixed charges, meter charges, taxes, duties, minimum charges or other items determined by the State Electricity Regulatory Commission and DISCOM.

Solar generation also changes with season, weather, shade, dust, panel orientation and equipment performance. For this reason, system capacity should be selected using the household’s electricity-consumption history and a proper roof survey, rather than only the headline promise of “300 units.”

Documents and Information to Keep Ready

Portal fields and DISCOM requirements can vary by state and may be updated. The following checklist covers the information commonly required at different stages of the application and subsidy process.

The consumer name, electricity-account details and bank-account information should be checked carefully. A mismatch can delay verification or require correction. Never hand over original documents or an OTP to an unknown caller claiming to guarantee instant approval.

How to Apply Online for PM Surya Ghar Yojana

1. Visit the official PM Surya Ghar National Portal. Confirm that the website address belongs to the Government of India before entering personal or electricity-account information.
2. Select the relevant State or Union Territory and electricity distribution company, then enter the residential consumer number and other requested details.
3. Complete consumer registration using the required mobile-number or portal-verification process.
4. Submit the rooftop solar application and review the proposed capacity in relation to sanctioned load, roof space and household electricity use.
5. Follow the portal or DISCOM process for technical feasibility wherever it is required under the applicable state rules.
6. Compare vendors registered on the National Portal. Discuss system capacity, module and inverter specifications, warranties, total price, taxes, net-meter responsibility, service terms and payment schedule.
7. Finalise the vendor agreement and permit installation only after checking that the equipment and terms match the written quotation.
8. After installation, update the system information and upload the required documents and geo-tagged photographs through the consumer login.
9. Complete the DISCOM inspection, metering agreement and approved net-meter or other permitted metering process.
10. Submit or verify the bank details, redeem the activated e-token where applicable and track the CFA payment through the portal.

What Happens After the Online Application?

Submission is only the first stage. The application moves through several consumer, vendor and DISCOM actions before Central Financial Assistance can be processed.

The operational guidelines state that CFA is to be processed within 15 days after approval by the concerned DISCOM. This does not mean every applicant will receive payment exactly 15 days after installation. Inspection, correction, bank validation, portal processing or an incomplete claim can extend the total timeline.

How to Choose a Registered Solar Vendor Safely

A subsidy-eligible installation must follow the registered-vendor process described by the scheme. Registration alone should not be the only basis for selection. Consumers should compare technical quality, written terms, service capacity and price.

• Confirm that the vendor is shown as registered for the relevant state or DISCOM area on the official portal.
• Ask for a written quotation that separates modules, inverter, structure, protection devices, wiring, taxes, meter-related work and other charges.
• Check the exact make, model, wattage and warranty of the proposed solar modules and inverter.
• Confirm in writing that the modules satisfy the applicable DCR condition for subsidy.
• Ask who will handle portal documents, geo-tagged photographs, DISCOM coordination and net-meter paperwork.
• Review the payment schedule and avoid cash payments without a valid receipt.
• Keep a copy of the signed vendor-consumer agreement, invoice, serial numbers and warranty documents.
• Ask for the complaint process and local service contact after commissioning.

Under the operational guidelines, registered vendors are expected to provide repair and maintenance services without cost during the five-year Comprehensive Maintenance Contract period, subject to the applicable terms and responsibilities. The consumer should ensure that the service commitment appears clearly in the written agreement.

Technical Rules That Can Affect Subsidy Eligibility

1. Domestic Content Requirement

Solar modules used in a CFA-supported installation must satisfy the applicable Domestic Content Requirement. The notified rule requires domestically manufactured modules made from domestically manufactured cells. Use of non-DCR modules can make the installation ineligible for CFA.

2. Grid-Connected System

The main residential subsidy applies to eligible grid-connected rooftop solar. A completely off-grid system is not eligible for CFA under the notified residential guidelines. Certain behind-the-meter or hybrid arrangements may depend on approval under the relevant state regulatory framework.

3. DISCOM Inspection

The DISCOM verifies the installation against the portal checklist and applicable technical specifications. It may approve the claim, return it for correction or reject it with justification where the installation does not meet the requirements.

4. Approved Metering Arrangement

Net metering, net billing, gross metering, virtual net metering or group net metering may be covered when the relevant arrangement is approved under the rules of the State or Union Territory. The exact billing method is therefore not identical across India.

5. Subsidy Is Based on Module Capacity

CFA is calculated according to the rated DC capacity of the eligible solar-module system, not merely the inverter size. Installing a larger or smaller inverter does not automatically increase the subsidy.

Can Applicants Take a Loan for Rooftop Solar?

The scheme allows consumers to explore financing products through the National Portal and participating banks or financial institutions. The notified framework envisages standardised low-interest products for residential systems up to 3 kW, but the final approval, interest rate, processing fee, collateral requirement, repayment period and EMI depend on the lender and the applicant’s credit assessment.

When installation is financed through a loan, the CFA may be credited to the consumer’s loan account up to the outstanding amount. Any eligible balance may be transferred according to the scheme’s disbursement process. Applicants should read the loan agreement carefully instead of assuming that the government subsidy will cover the entire cost.

Common PM Surya Ghar Application Mistakes to Avoid

Frequently Asked Questions

What Should a Household Do Before Applying?

Start with the latest electricity bills, calculate average monthly consumption and inspect the roof for shade and usable space. Next, register only through the official portal and compare multiple registered vendors. The final decision should consider equipment quality, total installed price, service capability, roof safety, metering rules and realistic electricity generation—not subsidy alone.

Keep every application acknowledgement, quotation, invoice, portal screenshot, payment receipt, equipment serial number, inspection document and warranty paper. These records are useful if a correction, service request or complaint becomes necessary.