Brahmanand Mohanty was one of the first to install Rooftop Solar (RTS) at his house in the Zamindar Garden in the Boulevard in 2001. A retired professor with Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Bangkok, Mr. Mohanty, known as a pioneer of clean energy in the city had built his house powered by solar energy.
Over the years, several residents inspired by Mr. Mohanty installed RTS in their houses hoping to reduce their electricity bills and sell extra units to the grid to earn money and reduce their dependence on fossil fuels. However, most of the residents who opted for RTS are a disappointed lot now and struggle with basic billing issues.
The launch
It was in February 2024, that the Union Government unveiled its ambitious Prime Minister Suryaghar Muft Bijli Yojana. This flagship national scheme has set a target of 1 crore RTS installations across the country.
While States like Gujarat and Union Territories like Lakshadweep and Ladakh lead the way accounting for over 40% of installations due to proactive policies, efficient administration, and effective awareness campaigns, the performance of Puducherry leaves much to be desired.
“Puducherry aims to solarise 13,000 households by March 2027 under the scheme. Despite over 20,000 households registering for RTS, only about 1,000 have installed RTS systems and availed of subsidies. This reflects lack of institutional will, administrative inertia, and poor awareness drives,” said a prosumer.
Billed in thousands to lakhs of rupees
The Puducherry Electricity Department (PED) has repeatedly failed to implement net metering regulations notified back in 2015. Consumers are often billed thousands to lakhs of rupees arbitrarily, instead of receiving compensation for the excess clean energy they feed back to the grid, rue residents.
For instance, a teacher who installed solar in August 2024 spent months getting her bills corrected. Instead of receiving ₹6,722 credit for export of surplus power to the grid, she was shocked to get a bill of ₹98,139 this June.
“The installation went smoothly, but the billing has been a nightmare from day one. Despite submitting our meter readings every month, without fail, they’re never considered. Each bill is a struggle to correct. I love the idea of going green, but after this painful experience, I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone,” she said.
Similar is the case of S.P. Subramanian, 84, a retired police officer. He was flabbergasted to receive a bill of ₹1.34 lakh for June. “I was hesitant to invest in solar from my dwindling savings after retirement, but Professor Mohanty encouraged me, assuring it would benefit me in the long run. I regret that decision now.”
“Every month, I am stressed by wrong bills. The vendor has been supportive in dealing with PED, but I was expecting more than ₹5,000 for my surplus electricity last year – instead, I got a bill for ₹1.34 lakh. I wrote to the Head of PED two weeks ago, but there has been no response,” he said.
Similarly, a businessman who installed solar in July 2022, despite having a surplus credit of 1,502 units last month received a bill for a whopping ₹5.24 lakh, wiping out his solar earnings. After fighting for three years to get his bills corrected, the resident has now lost hope.
“We’re losing trust. Puducherry’s potential for solar success is shining, but the administration needs to flip the switch on progress,” he said.
Endless visits for correction
The anomalies in billing, has left consumers fuming, forcing them to visit PED offices repeatedly to correct erroneous bills. Complaints to the Consumer Grievance Redressal Forum and even the Ombudsman of the regulator have yielded no systematic solution.
Mr. Mohanty, the first RTS adopter in Puducherry, has spent over a decade advocating for billing reforms. His repeated appeals to PED and the government remain unanswered. “With such poor accountability, how will Puducherry achieve its solar target?” he asks.
If PED fails to resolve these issues urgently, Puducherry risks missing out on the immense economic and environmental benefits of rooftop solar and leaving its citizens disillusioned in India’s clean energy transition, Mr. Mohanty added.
When contacted, a senior Government official said that there was no issue with the billing software and the PED would look into it.
Published – July 01, 2025 06:04 pm IST
