Making India Energy Efficient With Bachat Lamp Scheme
It is a well-known fact that the CFLs that are being widely used today saves the consumption of electricity to great extents when they are compared to the Incandescent Bulbs. By consuming less energy, they provide the same amount of glow. But when we compare them, the CFLs are more costly than the incandescent bulbs. This rising cost prevents a lot of people from buying the CFLs that are energy efficient. In order to find a solution to this problem, the scheme of Bachat Lamp Scheme has been introduced which distributes the CFLs with long life and quality in place of the incandescent lamps to all the residential customers and the charge is INR 15 each.
What is the main aim of the scheme?
The scheme has been launched as a part of the implementation program of Clean Development Mechanism. As the scheme gets successfully implemented, carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases get reduced from the power plants that are connected to grids.
- It is a program for replacing the incandescent bulbs with the CFLs throughout the households of India
- Providing the CFLs to the families and households at a similar rate to that of incandescent bulbs,
- The scheme looks forward to utilizing the Kyoto Protocol’s CDM or Clean Development Mechanism for recovering the CFL’s differential costs in the market and the ones in which the household and families will be purchasing them.
Implementation of the Scheme
Some of the suppliers are selected by the BEE who will help in supplying the CFLs at much cheaper rates so that the incandescent bulbs can be replaced. In return, the suppliers get saleable reduction credits. The suppliers are also contacted by the companies which distribute electricity for providing the CFLs at a discounted rate to the consumers.
Participation of Consumers in this Scheme
Participation in this scheme is made voluntarily. The scheme allows an incandescent of 60 watts to be replaced with a CFL of 11-15 watt and a bulb of 100 watts with a CFL of 18-23 watt. Every household can be replaced with a maximum of 4 bulbs. The high-quality CFLs are provided and the old bulbs (incandescent) are returned to the one who is supplying them. Incandescent bulbs with different wattage and tube lights are not applicable to this scheme.
Distribution Companies of the Scheme
- Kerala State Electricity Board with the help of Energy Management Center in Kerala.
- Tata DDL (NDPL) Delhi
- Eastern Power Distribution Corporation in Andhra Pradesh
- State Electricity Board of Tamil Nadu
- State Electricity Board of Punjab
- Vidyut Vitaran Nigam Limited in Jaipur
- Upper Assam Power Distribution Company
- Bangalore Electric Supply Company
- Uttaranchal Power Distribution Company
- Lower Assam power distribution Company
- Chhattisgarh State Electricity Board
- MP Poorv Kshetra Power Distribution Company
- Dakshin Haryana Vidyut Vitaran Nigam
Till date, in the different parts of India, 50 projects of the scheme of small-scale has been registered under this framework, while 44 projects have already been implemented. During the Eleventh Plan Period, almost 29 million CFLs are distributed.
About the Scheme
BEE has developed the scheme for promoting the lighting which is energy efficient in India. For installing the CFLs in the households which are known to be energy efficient need no requirements that are mandatory in India. Most of the households in India are voluntarily being a part of this scheme. It has been estimated that with the successful implementation of the scheme in the country, a power of 6000 MW will be saved and this amounts to a sum of INR 25,000 crore. The subsidized rate of the CFLs as mentioned above is INR 15 each and is exchanged for two incandescent bulbs. The total measurement and balancing of the power will also help the households as the cost of electricity bills will be lowered. The lifespan of the CFLs varies from 6000-10000 hours while that of an incandescent is only 1000 hours.
Environmental and Other Benefits
- The emissions of the greenhouse gases will get reduced
- It will enhance the forests and also protect them
- The energy savings produced by the CFLs will thereby lead to the reduced use of coal.
- The period of distribution will create the jobs that need local skills.
- Before making the distributions, various awareness programs are held so that the consumers get to know about the benefits of using CFLs.
- There will be a significant reduction in the cost of electric bills which has been estimated to be a savings of 10% of the expenditure of the total household.
- Villages can enjoy more electric hours as blackouts will get reduced for less electricity consumption per household due to the usage of CFLs.
Conclusion
The Scheme if implemented throughout the country properly would surely bring electricity to every household of India. This plan has been devised by keeping in mind the financial status of the citizens living in the countryside. Hence, it is for them to afford electricity at cheap rates.
