Kerala State Electricity Board comes up with plan to free itself of unsold LED bulbs

LED bulbs procured as part of Filament Free Kerala programme and Domestic Efficient Lighting Programme remain unsold

The Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) has come up with a plan to free itself of thousands of unsold LED bulbs that were meant to be distributed under two energy efficiency programmes.

According to the State-run power utility, of the 1.17 crore 9 watt LED bulbs procured under the Filament Free Kerala programme, 2.19 lakh remain unsold. In addition to this, 81,000 LED bulbs procured for distribution under the Domestic Efficient Lighting Programme (DELP) also remain in “good condition” across various KSEB offices.

Under the Filament Free Kerala project which was launched some years ago, the KSEB had distributed the LED bulbs at ₹65 per bulb. But the average market rate of the LED bulbs have markedly dipped, prompting the KSEB to observe that “this might lead to a situation where most of the remaining LED bulbs will continue as dead stock across various sections/circle stores.”

In the case of the DELP scheme LEDs, the KSEB is faced with a different problem as their three-year warranty period has expired in 2020 and it is not advisable anymore to put the bulbs for sale. These bulbs were initially sold for ₹60 per bulb, but the price had been revised to ₹65 after the GST roll-out.

In the case of the Filament Free Kerala bulbs, the KSEB management has now decided to offer one bulb free for every purchase of two LEDs at the rate of ₹65 per bulb. The DELP scheme bulbs will be distributed free of cost to KSEB offices, Anganwadis, and government hospitals “to clear out the stock,” a recent order issued by the KSEB said. Bulbs under the DELP schemes will be also distributed two each free of cost to new electricity consumers when they take the connection.

Published - November 15, 2024 09:42 pm IST