PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana: Apply Online in West Bengal (WBSEDCL) & Claim the ₹78,000 Subsidy

The Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy’s PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana is the country’s largest rooftop solar programme to date — under it, families with an annual income below ₹10 lakh get solar panels installed on their roofs and receive up to 300 units of free electricity every month and a direct subsidy (DBT) of up to ₹78,000. In West Bengal the scheme is actively running on the WBSEDCL and CESC networks, and given West Bengal’s average number of sunny days, solar returns here are very good.

In this guide we walk step by step through who can apply, how much subsidy you’ll get, how to apply online with a WBSEDCL connection, and which pitfalls to avoid.

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1. Key facts at a glance

Item	Details
Scheme name	PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana
Administered by	Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), Government of India
Maximum subsidy	₹78,000 (for plants of 3 kW or more)
Free electricity	Up to 300 units a month (with a 3 kW plant)
Application channel	National portal pmsuryaghar.gov.in
West Bengal discoms	WBSEDCL / CESC (depending on your connection)

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2. Subsidy math: how much for how many kW?

The Central Financial Assistance (CFA) is set by plant capacity:

Plant capacity	Subsidy (CFA)	Approx. monthly free electricity
1 kilowatt (1 kW)	₹30,000	~120 units
2 kilowatts (2 kW)	₹60,000	~225 units
3 kilowatts (3 kW) or more	₹78,000 (maximum)	~300 units

Example: you install a 3 kW plant with an installation cost of roughly ₹1.5 lakh. After the ₹78,000 subsidy arrives directly in your bank, your actual cost is approximately ₹72,000–90,000 (depending on vendor, panel quality and mounting). Counting 300 units of free electricity a month, the cost is usually recovered in 4–5 years, and the panels last an average of 25 years.

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3. Who can apply?

• The applicant must be an Indian citizen.
• The household’s annual income must be below ₹10 lakh (a defined subsidy condition).
• You must own the roof or have legal rights to use it.
• The electricity connection (WBSEDCL/CESC consumer number) must be in the applicant’s own name.
• You cannot apply if you have already received a subsidy under this scheme elsewhere.

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4. Step-by-step online application (WBSEDCL connection)

Step 1 — Registration: go to the pmsuryaghar.gov.in portal and click “Apply for Rooftop Solar”. Select West Bengal as the state and WBSEDCL as the discom (CESC if you’re a Kolkata CESC customer), then register with your mobile number, email and consumer number after OTP verification.

Step 2 — Application form: log in, fill in your Aadhaar number, address, roof details and proposed plant capacity (kW), and submit the form.

Step 3 — Feasibility approval: WBSEDCL approves based on your connection and the transformer’s hosting capacity. Status is visible on the portal dashboard.

Step 4 — Registered vendor: after approval, choose a vendor from the portal’s list and sign the contract. ALMM-listed, DCR panels are mandatory — this is the condition for receiving the subsidy.

Step 5 — Installation and net meter: after installation, upload the plant details on the portal. WBSEDCL will install the net meter and conduct a final inspection.

Step 6 — Subsidy (DBT): once everything is verified, the subsidy amount is credited directly to your bank account — never through any intermediary.

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5. Required documents

• Aadhaar card
• Electricity bill / consumer number (in the applicant’s name)
• Proof of home ownership (land deed / municipal tax receipt)
• Copy of the first page of the bank passbook (with IFSC)
• Passport-size photograph
• Signed agreement with the vendor and installation photos (at a later stage)

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6. Caution: don’t make these mistakes

1. Installing through an unregistered vendor voids the subsidy.
2. Never pay any agent a “subsidy commission” — the subsidy comes via DBT; no agent is needed.
3. A north-facing roof generates less — a south-facing roof is best.
4. Check the portal status regularly; document errors leave applications stuck.

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Final word

PM Surya Ghar is one of those rare schemes where government subsidy, low-interest bank loans and long-term electricity savings all come together. If your roof gets enough sun, it is among the smartest investments for a West Bengal household in 2026. Verify the latest rules and subsidy rates on the pmsuryaghar.gov.in portal.