PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana supports household rooftop solar installations through a central subsidy. PIB explains the scheme. For an Uttar Pradesh home, check four things separately: the central subsidy, the UP contribution, your installation contract and your electricity connection. This guide covers a household arranging its own installation. Our advice is to understand the full payment and approval sequence before paying a vendor.
How much is the central subsidy?
For UP households, the central assistance is Rs 30,000 per kW for the first 2 kW, then Rs 18,000 for the next 1 kW. There is no additional central subsidy beyond 3 kW. See MNRE's subsidy schedule, section 5(h).
- 1 kW: Rs 30,000 central subsidy.
- 2 kW: Rs 60,000 central subsidy.
- 3 kW: Rs 78,000 central subsidy.
- Above 3 kW: the central subsidy remains capped at Rs 78,000.
These whole-capacity amounts are also confirmed in PIB's scheme explainer. Treat them as subsidy amounts, not installation prices. Ask for a quotation showing the full payable amount before subsidy, each expected subsidy separately, and your payment dates. Do not let a salesperson describe the maximum assistance as money already approved for your home.
Does Uttar Pradesh offer an extra subsidy?
Yes. Section 7.3 of the UP Solar Energy Policy 2022 provides Rs 15,000 per kW, capped at Rs 30,000 per consumer, for eligible private residential installations under net metering. This is additional to central assistance. Payment is on reimbursement after successful installation, commissioning with net metering and submission of documents to UPNEDA.
UPNEDA's PM Surya Ghar booklet confirms the combined structure. For a qualifying new installation, central plus state assistance totals Rs 45,000 for 1 kW, Rs 90,000 for 2 kW and Rs 1,08,000 for 3 kW. Above 3 kW, neither component increases. These totals assume eligibility for both components.
Our budgeting advice: keep enough funds for the contractual payments without depending on a particular subsidy credit date. Ask UPNEDA to confirm the state claim requirements for your application. Retain separate records of the central and state claims; do not mark either as received until the credit appears.
Check your household and roof first
PIB's household eligibility checklist identifies Indian citizenship, house ownership with a suitable roof and a valid electricity connection. UPNEDA's booklet identifies residential households under the LMV-1 category with a metered connection. Check the category and consumer number on your bill before starting.
Already received solar assistance? Disclose it. MNRE's section 5(n) permits limited additional assistance when an existing subsidised system is expanded, covering only the balance capacity up to 3 kW overall. Do not assume either automatic disqualification or entitlement to a second full subsidy.
For a rented home, shared terrace or apartment, resolve ownership, roof access and permission with the owner or association before ordering. Ask the installer to inspect shade, roof condition, access for maintenance and cable routing. Request a written layout and generation estimate. Compare the proposal with your last twelve electricity bills, including summer use; do not select capacity only to reach the largest subsidy.
Apply through pmsuryaghar.gov.in
Start at pmsuryaghar.gov.in. The main sequence in PIB's application instructions is:
- Register with your state, electricity distribution company, consumer number, mobile number and email.
- Log in and submit the rooftop solar application. Save its reference.
- Complete the applicable approval stage and arrange installation through a registered vendor.
- Upload installation details and request net metering.
- Complete DISCOM inspection and obtain the commissioning certificate.
- Submit bank details and a cancelled cheque through the portal for the subsidy claim.
There is an important update to older instructions: MNRE's March 2026 update reports waived technical feasibility requirements and automatic load enhancement up to 10 kW. Follow your application's current DISCOM workflow; do not confuse this simplification with permission to bypass metering or inspection.
Keep control of your registered mobile and login. Review entries even if a vendor helps. Match the consumer details, installation address and bank information carefully. Save each acknowledgement and ask for corrections before advancing. The steps here were checked against official publications; no application was submitted or end-to-end portal transaction tested.
Choose the vendor and contract carefully
MNRE's guidelines require a National Portal registered vendor and Indian-made modules using Indian-made cells for subsidy eligibility. They also require five years of free repairs and maintenance under the comprehensive maintenance contract. Ask for these commitments in writing.
Our recommendation is to compare at least three written quotations for the same proposed capacity. Verify the business name against the portal record yourself. Ask who will attend faults locally, how to contact them, and who handles subsidy paperwork. Request references from completed installations and speak to those customers independently.
- Specify module and inverter models, mounting structure, wiring, earthing and protection equipment.
- List taxes, transport, civil work, meter-related charges and exclusions explicitly.
- Agree payment milestones, completion expectations and the process for resolving defects.
- Collect the invoice, component warranties, serial numbers, commissioning papers and maintenance contact.
Ask who pays to repair roof damage or water leakage caused during installation. Record any promised generation guarantee and its exclusions. Avoid signing blank forms or accepting verbal promises that conflict with the written quotation.
Net metering with your UP electricity supplier
Select the supplier shown on your electricity bill. UPNEDA's booklet lists PVVNL, DVVNL, MVVNL, PuVVNL and KESCO, as well as NPCL and Torrent Power. Do not choose a company merely because its name looks familiar.
UPNEDA's rooftop solar FAQ explains that a bidirectional meter records electricity imported from and exported to the grid. Solar power used at home reduces your need to draw electricity; surplus can flow to the grid. Net metering accounts for those flows in billing. Fixed or minimum charges can remain, so a zero energy charge does not necessarily mean a zero total bill.
Ask your supplier how your sanctioned load, meter installation, agreement and first solar bill will be handled. Obtain written clarification of applicable charges, unused credit treatment and year-end settlement before relying on export income. Do not assume every exported unit produces an immediate cash payment.
Keep the meter's opening readings and commissioning date. On the first bills, compare recorded imports, exports and credits with your records. Raise discrepancies with the supplier using the consumer number and supporting documents. Treat '300 free units' as a reason to examine the generation and billing assumptions, not as a personal guarantee of a bill waiver.
Can you take a loan?
Yes. MNRE's March 2026 statement describes collateral-free loans from nationalised banks at the RBI repo rate plus 0.50 percentage points, with a ten-year tenure. This describes the scheme's financing provision; obtain the bank's current written offer rather than treating an old advertised rate as today's quote.
Ask about eligibility, down payment, fees, insurance, repayment start date and what happens when subsidy arrives. Request the total repayment schedule and clarify whether the rate can change. Compare the EMI with a cautious savings estimate, and test whether you could pay it during a period of low generation or delayed subsidy.
For the calculation behind repayments, read our loan EMI guide. Our suggestion is to borrow only after the roof assessment, written quotation and lender's terms are clear.
Avoid fake portals and agents
Our precautions against impersonation are simple: type the official portal address yourself, verify vendor registration independently, and stop when an unsolicited caller asks for a personal transfer to 'release' subsidy. Treat claims of guaranteed approval, instant payment or a secret government discount as reasons to verify through official channels. These are warning signs to check, not allegations against every installer.
Never share banking passwords, payment PINs or OTPs with callers, and decline requests to install remote-control apps. Keep screenshots, messages, invoices and payment references. Our UPI scams guide offers a payment-checking routine.
For suspected financial cyber fraud, contact your bank promptly and report through 1930 or cybercrime.gov.in, the reporting routes identified by the Ministry of Home Affairs. Do not pay another agent who promises to recover your money for an advance fee.
Quick checklist
- I checked the electricity account, household eligibility and permission to use the roof.
- I separated the central subsidy, UP subsidy and full installation cost.
- I verified the vendor and obtained the equipment, maintenance and payment terms in writing.
- I understand the DISCOM's metering process and how to check the first bill.
- I can fund payments and any EMI without assuming immediate subsidy or a zero bill.
- I control my login and have saved the application, inspection and payment records.
Sources
Official sources checked on 20 October 2026. Practical buying and budgeting suggestions are our editorial recommendations. Older publications are used for the specific points cited, with the March 2026 process update noted above.
- PIB: PM Surya Ghar overview, 5 December 2024, including its eligibility infographic in the PDF edition.
- PIB: subsidy examples and application sequence, 1 March 2024.
- MNRE: amended residential subsidy guidelines, July 2025; sections 5–7.
- UPNEDA: UP Solar Energy Policy 2022, section 7.3.
- UPNEDA: PM Surya Ghar information booklet, household and UP subsidy details.
- UPNEDA: rooftop solar FAQ, metering and billing explanations.
- MNRE/PIB: approval simplifications and loan provision, 25 March 2026.
- Ministry of Home Affairs/PIB: financial cyber-fraud reporting routes.
