Raipur: There is excellent news for consumers installing rooftop solar plants under the ‘Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana’. The Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) has determined the buyback rate for surplus solar power fed into the grid for the 2025-26 financial year. The Chhattisgarh State Power Distribution Company has also initiated the official process to adopt this rate. According to the Chhattisgarh State Power Companies, the determined rate has been submitted to the Chhattisgarh State Electricity Regulatory Commission (CSERC) for final approval. Once the Commission gives the green signal, the value of the surplus electricity will appear as a credit (adjustment) in the consumers’ subsequent electricity bills.
How the Net Metering and Buyback System Works
The power company explained the entire process. Under the net metering system, the electricity generated by the solar plant is first adjusted against the consumer’s monthly electricity consumption. If generation exceeds the consumer’s needs and the surplus power flows back into the grid, the remaining units accumulate in the consumer’s account each month. At the end of the financial year, the power company buys back (purchases) all these accumulated surplus units in accordance with the rules. The total amount calculated based on the fixed rate is then credited to the consumer’s account.
The Account Resets to Zero in the New Financial Year
Clearing up confusion among consumers, the company clarified that the accounting of units starts afresh (from zero) at the beginning of each new financial year. This is why surplus units remaining from the previous financial year do not appear as units in the new electricity bill. However, their monetary value remains fully secure in the consumer’s account and is adjusted as a credit against future electricity bills. It is noteworthy that the entire process regarding the adjustment and buyback of surplus electricity under the ‘Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana’ is being conducted in a highly transparent manner, in accordance with the prevailing regulations of the Chhattisgarh State Electricity Regulatory Commission, thereby providing direct economic benefits to thousands of solar energy consumers in the state.
