The Andhra Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission (APERC) has waived application fees and net metering charges for domestic consumers installing rooftop solar systems of up to 10 kW under the Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana.

This decision follows a formal request from the Andhra Pradesh Eastern Power Distribution Company, supported by inputs from the Andhra Pradesh Southern Power Distribution Company and Andhra Pradesh Central Power Distribution Corporation, aiming to ease the financial burden on households willing to switch to solar.

The Commission invoked its powers under Clauses 18 (Power to Relax) and 20 (Power to Remove Difficulties) of the APERC Grid Interactive Solar Rooftop Photovoltaic System Regulation, 2023 (Regulation 4 of 2023) to facilitate the rollout of the central government’s flagship solar initiative in the state.

However, the Commission clarified that the net metering agreement remains mandatory, emphasizing its role in protecting the rights and responsibilities of the consumer and the power distribution companies.

According to Shripad Yesso Naik, Minister of State for New and Renewable Energy and Power, 15,329 households in Andhra Pradesh had benefited from the program, with a total installation of 53.39 MW as of March 10, 2025.

This regulatory relief targets encouraging more installations in the state, especially as the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Energy has raised concerns about the program’s slow progress at the national level. In a report, the Committee pointed out that only 905,000 households have benefited from the program, with 600,000 receiving subsidies, far short of the ambitious 3.5 million rooftop systems targeted for FY 2026.

Implemented through the National Portal, the program enables residential consumers to register, apply, and select vendors for their rooftop solar systems. The platform allows users to negotiate installation costs, secure approvals, and benefit from subsidies transferred to their bank accounts following inspections by electricity distribution utilities.

The program was announced in January last year when the Prime Minister said the aim is to reduce the electricity expenditure of poor and middle-class households while enabling India’s self-reliance in energy. It was also one of the significant programs unveiled in the interim Budget 2024 by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to Parliament.