Price of LED bulbs set to come down

With the Centre planning to procure 77 crore LED bulbs in next three years to supply households as part of its energy saving scheme, the price is likely to come down to Rs 50 per unit in coming days.

The Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), a public sector undertaking, which is procuring bulbs through open bidding from manufacturers, already supplied over 3 crore bulbs to households through state electricity distribution companies.

Currently, EESL has been able to procure LED bulbs for Rs 73 (per bulb with 7 Watt) as of June from manufacturers, down from Rs 310 in February 2014, a reduction of over 75 per cent.

These bulbs will be distributed to domestic consumers at Rs 100 to Rs 105 per unit currently through various state electricity distribution companies under central government sponsored Domestic Efficient Lighting Programme ( DELP). Open market price of LED bulbs is Rs 350 to Rs 400 per unit.

Once the EESL places more order, the prices of bulb expected to come down drastically around Rs 50 per unit, an official in the Ministry of Power told Deccan Herald.

The government is hoping that the open market prices would fall near to Rs 125 to 150 per bulb in coming days.

The DELP scheme is running in six states — Rajasthan, Delhi, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh — and is rapidly expanding across all other states, the official added. In 2015-16, of the targeted 15 crore bulbs, the company already purchased 9 crore bulbs and procuring of remaining quantity is on. In 2016-17 and 2017-18, plans are on to procure 31 crore bulbs each year, a senior official in the Ministry of Power said.

The DELP, launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in January 2015, will be implemented in 100 cities in phases.