THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) is set to launch a massive LED promotion drive in the state aiming at daily savings of 350 megawatts (MW) on peak-hour demand and 400 million units (MU) a year.
The Rs 150-crore initiative, to be rolled out toward January-end, will form the third season of the ‘Labhaprabha’ energy conservation programme, Power Minister Aryadan Mohammed has said.
Modelled on the Centre’s Domestic Efficient Lighting Programme (DELP), the ‘Labhaprabha’ LED scheme will enable domestic consumers to buy 9 Watt LED bulbs at Rs 95 per piece. They will be distributed free of charge to six lakh families who consume less than 40 units a month and having a connected load below 1,000 watts. Under the scheme, each household will be supplied two bulbs.
“The actual cost of a bulb is Rs 400 in the market at present,” Aryadan Mohammed said. By replacing a 60 watt incandescent bulb and a 20 watt CFL with two 9 watt LED bulbs, it is calculated that a single household can save up to seven units of electricity a month.
Along with the bulbs, the KSEB also plans to spread the message of ‘Goodbye to Yellow Light.’
For procuring LED at an affordable price, the KSEB has tied up with power sector PSU Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL). On its part, the KSEB will make such arrangements so that all domestic consumers can purchase the bulbs within two months from the sections when they come to remit the electricity bill. “We expect to distribute 1.5 crore bulbs, including 12 lakh which will be distributed free of cost to eligible consumers,” KSEB CMD M Sivasankar said.