Chennai: Ever postponed your plans of replacing normal bulbs with LED because of the high cost factor? Your LED dream that will also reduce your power bill will be a reality from next month with the Union Government set to roll out Ujala programme under which customers can buy LED bulbs and tube lights at much cheaper price than available in the market.
Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), a PSU under the ministry of power, on Wednesday announced the rollout of the programmee, which is being successfully implemented in neighbouring states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
The LED bulbs and tube lights, which are at least 200 per cent cheaper than those available in markets, will be available for sale at all bill payment centres of the TNEB and Tangedco from June, Rajkumar Rakhra, national programme manager — Ujala, EESL, told reporters here on Wednesday. The 9W LED bulbs are priced at Rs 65 each, 5-star rated fans at Rs 1,150 and 20W LED tube lights at Rs 230.
The Ujala scheme, launched by the Narendra Modi government in 2015, with a target of inefficient bulbs with energy efficient LED bulbs, will be formally launched in Tamil Nadu next month. Though the bulbs will be sold in Chennai initially, other districts would also follow suit.
“We have a target to sell 3 crore LED bulbs, 30 lakh LED tube lights and 10 lakh five-star rated fans in TN. We are hopeful that Tangedco and the Tamil Nadu government will help us in achieving the target. If implemented, this will result in saving Rs 1650 crore in electricity bills,” Mr Rakhra said.
Rakhra said the EESL is also entering the air-conditioner market very soon and has set a target of selling 1 lakh ACs in the initial stage mostly to institutions like schools and colleges. “We have also approached banks and ATMs to ensure that ATM kiosks buy our ACs,” Mr Rakhra said.
