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Rooftop solar in Madhya Pradesh: the central subsidy, MPERC’s 2026 fee waiver and how net metering pays you
What a home in Bhopal, Indore, Jabalpur or anywhere else in the state can claim, what MPERC’s June 2026 amendment stopped DISCOMs from charging, and how surplus units are settled.
Madhya Pradesh does not add its own cash to the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana subsidy for homes, at least not on any official record we could find. What it has done is cut the paperwork and service charges. Since 19 June 2026, a household applying under the scheme pays no processing fee and no meter testing fee, and signs its net metering agreement as part of the online form instead of in a separate visit.
The state is a large market that started late. By 31 July 2026 it had 2,24,600 applications on the national portal and 1,58,323 systems installed, covering 1,63,708 households with 592.56 MW, and ₹1,115.15 crore of central subsidy had been released, according to figures the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy gave the Lok Sabha. That placed it seventh among states by systems installed. Its target under the scheme is about six lakh homes by March 2027, so most of the work is still ahead.
As on 28 October 2026: central subsidy ₹30,000 for 1 kW, ₹60,000 for 2 kW, ₹78,000 for 3 kW and above. No confirmed state cash top-up for homes. PM Surya Ghar applicants pay no ₹1,000 processing fee and no meter testing fee, and sign no separate agreement. Surplus units are settled once a year at the lowest recent state solar auction tariff. Figures can change; your DISCOM, MPERC and the national portal have the final word.
What you get
| System size | Central subsidy (₹) | State cash top-up | Fees under PM Surya Ghar |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 kW | 30,000 | None found | No processing or meter testing fee |
| 2 kW | 60,000 | None found | No processing or meter testing fee |
| 3 kW and above | 78,000 (maximum) | None found | No processing or meter testing fee |
The central subsidy is the same in every state and is paid into your bank account after the DISCOM inspects the plant. Because Madhya Pradesh adds nothing in cash, the sums are simple: a 3 kW system quoted at ₹1,80,000 would cost you about ₹1,02,000 after the subsidy. That is an illustrative figure; your vendor’s quote and the portal decide the real one.
The June 2026 amendment
MP Urja Vikas Nigam Ltd (MPUVNL), the state’s nodal agency for the scheme, asked MPERC in November 2025 to follow a Ministry of Power letter of 27 August 2025 urging states to drop service charges for rooftop solar. MPERC agreed in an order of 17 April 2026 and notified the change as the first amendment to its rooftop regulations on 18 June 2026. It came into force when it appeared in the Gazette on 19 June. For connections under PM Surya Ghar:
- the ₹1,000 processing fee in Regulation 6(d) is not payable;
- no separate net metering agreement is needed, because the agreement is part of the application form and is executed online when you apply;
- the DISCOM cannot charge a fee for testing the meter.
Two limits are worth knowing. The waiver does not cover the cost of the meter itself, which MPERC called a capital cost that will still be recovered. And it applies only to PM Surya Ghar connections: the DISCOMs asked for it to cover all domestic rooftop systems, and MPERC declined.
How net metering works in Madhya Pradesh
Rooftop systems are governed by the MPERC (Grid Interactive Renewable Energy Systems Related Matters) Regulations [Revision-II], 2024, known as RG-39(II). The rules that matter for homes:
| Rule | What it says |
|---|---|
| Arrangements | Net metering, group net metering, virtual net metering and gross metering. Under the central consumer rules, net metering applies to loads up to 10 kW and gross metering above that. |
| Monthly accounting | If you export more than you import in a billing period, the extra units carry forward as credit. If you import more, you are billed for the difference after credits. |
| Time-of-day consumers | Consumption in each time block is first set against generation in the same block; any extra is treated as off-peak generation. |
| Minimum charges | Imported units must still meet the minimum charges in the retail tariff order for your category. |
| Year-end settlement | Unadjusted credits are paid by the DISCOM by 15 November at the lowest solar tariff discovered in state bidding in the previous financial year. |
| Commissioning | For solar PV, the DISCOM must sign the agreement, fit the meter and commission the system within 15 days of your installation certificate. |
The settlement rate comes from utility-scale solar auctions, so it is a small fraction of the retail tariff. A unit you use yourself saves far more than a unit you export, and the best plan is to size the system to your own consumption.
Net metering survived a challenge
In 2024 the state’s power companies petitioned MPERC to end net metering, or to stop solar credits earned in the daytime from being used against night-time consumption, when power costs them more. In its order of 23 August 2024 the Commission dismissed the petition. It noted that rooftop solar in Madhya Pradesh was much smaller than in Maharashtra or Gujarat, that the DISCOMs were behind their targets for distributed renewable power, and that changing the rules could send negative signals to PM Surya Ghar applicants. It said it would consider a net billing option only if it were made more attractive than net metering, not as a replacement.
How to apply
- Register on pmsuryaghar.gov.in with your consumer number, choosing your DISCOM: MP Poorv Kshetra (east, Jabalpur), MP Madhya Kshetra (central, Bhopal) or MP Paschim Kshetra (west, Indore). Our PM Surya Ghar guide has the steps.
- Pick a registered vendor. More than 1,000 vendors were empanelled in the state by November 2025.
- Accept the net metering agreement inside the online application. Systems up to 10 kW are deemed accepted without a separate feasibility approval.
- After installation, upload the system details and geo-tagged photos. The DISCOM inspects the plant and fits the bi-directional meter.
- Once the DISCOM approves the inspection on the portal, the central subsidy is released to your bank account.
The national helpline is 15555.
Common pitfalls
- Paying fees that are waived. Under PM Surya Ghar, no one should charge you the ₹1,000 processing fee or a meter testing fee.
- Assuming the meter is free. The waiver covers services, not the meter itself.
- Applying outside the scheme. A rooftop system installed outside PM Surya Ghar gets neither the central subsidy nor the fee waiver.
- Oversizing for export. Year-end surplus is bought at a utility auction rate, well below what you pay for grid power.
- Counting on a state top-up. If an installer promises extra state money, ask for the order number and check the national portal, where any state subsidy must be listed.
Questions people ask
How much subsidy does a Madhya Pradesh household get for rooftop solar?
The central PM Surya Ghar subsidy: ₹30,000 for 1 kW, ₹60,000 for 2 kW and ₹78,000 for 3 kW and above. We could not find any state cash top-up for homes on an official record as of 28 October 2026, so the central amount is what most households should plan around.
Does Madhya Pradesh charge fees for a PM Surya Ghar net meter connection?
Not any more. The first amendment to MPERC’s rooftop regulations, published in the MP Gazette on 19 June 2026, removes the ₹1,000 processing fee and the meter testing fee for prosumers applying under PM Surya Ghar, and replaces the separate net metering agreement with one built into the online application.
Do I still have to pay for the net meter?
Possibly. In its April 2026 order MPERC said the waiver covers service charges only, namely application, registration and processing fees, meter testing and installation or commissioning charges. The cost of buying the meter is a capital cost and is still recovered under the regulations.
What happens to surplus solar units in Madhya Pradesh?
Under Regulation 8A, extra units exported in a billing period are carried forward as credit. Units still unadjusted at the end of the settlement period are paid for by the DISCOM by 15 November at the lowest tariff discovered in solar bidding in Madhya Pradesh in the previous financial year, which is far below what you pay for grid power.
Did MPERC scrap net metering?
No. In August 2024 the DISCOMs asked MPERC to stop net metering or limit how solar credits are used at night. The Commission dismissed the petition, saying any change could hurt PM Surya Ghar take-up, though it left the door open to an optional net billing scheme with extra benefits.
Do non-PM Surya Ghar applicants get the fee waiver?
No. The DISCOMs asked for the relief to cover all domestic rooftop systems, but MPERC limited it to PM Surya Ghar connections. Other applicants still pay the ₹1,000 processing fee in the 2024 regulations.
How quickly must the DISCOM commission my system?
For solar PV, once you submit the installation certificate, the DISCOM has 15 days to sign the connection agreement, install the meter and commission the system. Under the central consumer rules, applications for systems up to 10 kW are deemed accepted without a technical feasibility approval.
Sources
The fee and agreement waiver is from the First Amendment to the MPERC rooftop regulations (notification of 18 June 2026) and the MPERC order of 17 April 2026 in Petition 137 of 2025, which also gives the state target, the November 2025 installation count and the number of vendors. The settlement, time-of-day and minimum-charge rules are Regulation 8A of RG-39(II) of 2024 as quoted in MPERC’s order of 23 August 2024 in Petition 17 of 2024, which kept net metering. The 15-day commissioning rule and the ₹1,000 fee are Regulations 6(i) and 6(d) as quoted in the 2026 order. State-wide figures are from the annexure to Lok Sabha unstarred question 2806, answered on 5 August 2026.
- MPERC: First Amendment to the rooftop regulations, ARG-39(II)(i) of 2026
- MPERC order in Petition 137 of 2025 (17 April 2026)
- MPERC order in Petition 17 of 2024 (23 August 2024)
- MPERC: current regulations, including RG-39(II) of 2024
- MP Poorv Kshetra: PM Surya Ghar scheme guidelines
- Lok Sabha: state-wise PM Surya Ghar progress as on 31 July 2026
- National Portal for PM Surya Ghar
Related reporting is on the solar and policy pages. Other state guides: Uttar Pradesh (a ₹15,000-per-kW top-up, up to ₹30,000), Rajasthan (₹17,000 and 150 free units), Delhi (up to ₹78,000, with free plants for homes up to 400 units), Maharashtra (the SMART scheme), Gujarat (central subsidy only), Tamil Nadu (up to ₹22,000), Kerala (time-of-day net metering rules since January 2026), Karnataka (central subsidy only, with KERC’s 2026 rules opening net metering to all consumers), Andhra Pradesh (free plants for SC/ST homes, surplus paid monthly at ₹2.09 a unit), Telangana (central subsidy only for self-built systems, DISCOM-run plants planned for Gruha Jyothi homes) and Haryana (a state grant of up to ₹50,000 for families earning up to ₹1.80 lakh, interest-free help for prompt payers). If a number here disagrees with your DISCOM, MPERC or the national portal, theirs wins. Corrections: [email protected].