The PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana application runs entirely online through pmsuryaghar.gov.in. The process has five distinct stages and involves both the national portal and your local DISCOM. This guide takes you through each stage precisely, with the documents you need and the errors most likely to cause delays.

What you need before you start

Before opening the portal, gather these documents:

• Your electricity bill (any recent bill will do you need the consumer number and DISCOM name from it)
• Your Aadhaar card or Aadhaar-linked mobile number for OTP verification
• Bank account details (account number and IFSC code) for subsidy credit
• Basic property details (roof type, approximate roof area, sanctioned load on your connection)

You do not need to upload most documents at the registration stage. Document uploads come later in the process.

Stage 1: Portal registration

Go to pmsuryaghar.gov.in on any browser. Select the Register option.

Enter your mobile number. You will receive an OTP. Enter the OTP to verify.

You will then be asked for your state and your DISCOM. Both are printed on your electricity bill. Select the correct DISCOM carefully if you are in a state with multiple DISCOMs, selecting the wrong one causes the application to go to the wrong office.

After selecting your DISCOM, enter your electricity consumer number exactly as printed on your bill. No spaces, no dashes unless the bill shows them.

The system will attempt to verify your consumer number against the DISCOM’s database. If verification fails, check:
– Consumer number entered correctly
– Correct DISCOM selected for your area
– Bill is current (not an old bill from a previous address)

Create a password for your account. Store it you will need it to check status and upload documents in later stages.

Stage 2: Apply for feasibility approval

After registration and login, go to the Apply for Rooftop Solar section.

Fill in your property details: approximate roof area available, which direction your roof faces (south-facing generates most), whether there is shading from trees or neighbouring buildings, and your average monthly electricity consumption.

Submit the application. Your DISCOM receives this digitally and assigns it to their solar processing team.

What happens next: A DISCOM official may contact you for a site visit, or may process the feasibility based on the information submitted. You will receive a feasibility approval notification on the portal and by SMS to your registered mobile number.

Timeline: 7 to 15 working days in most urban areas. Can be longer in rural divisions or during peak application periods.

Do not contact any installer or proceed with installation until this approval is received.

Stage 3: Select a registered vendor and install

After feasibility approval, log back into the portal. Go to the vendor selection section. Filter by your state and district to see registered solar installers in your area.

You can contact multiple vendors from this list for quotes. Get at least two or three quotes before deciding. Confirm that the vendor you choose is currently active on the portal registration status can expire.

After selecting a vendor and signing an agreement, installation proceeds. A standard 3 kW residential installation takes 1 to 2 days.

Documentation from your installer: Collect the installation invoice, product warranty documents for panels and inverter, and the net meter application form (which your installer should file with the DISCOM).

Stage 4: Net meter application and installation

Your installer files the net meter application with your DISCOM. This triggers the DISCOM to send a technician to inspect the installation and replace your existing meter with a bidirectional net meter.

This step is outside your direct control once filed, but you can follow up. Track the application status on the portal or call your DISCOM’s solar helpdesk. If 4 weeks pass with no technician visit, escalate in writing to your DISCOM’s divisional engineer and note your portal application ID in the communication.

Once the net meter is installed and the system is operational, your DISCOM issues a commissioning certificate. This is the most important document for claiming your subsidy.

Stage 5: Upload commissioning certificate and receive subsidy

Log back into pmsuryaghar.gov.in. Go to the Commissioning Certificate Upload section.

Upload the commissioning certificate (a scanned PDF or clear photograph is acceptable).

Enter your bank account details account number and IFSC code. The subsidy will be credited to this account as a direct benefit transfer. The name on the bank account should ideally match the name on the electricity connection.

After successful upload, your application enters DISCOM verification. Once verified, it moves to the central subsidy disbursement process.

Timeline: The subsidy is typically credited within 30 to 60 days of a successful certificate upload. Some states have seen longer delays during high-volume periods.

Common errors that cause delays or rejections

Consumer number mismatch. The consumer number on your portal registration must exactly match the DISCOM’s records. Even a leading zero that is present on one but not the other can cause a mismatch.

Wrong DISCOM selected. In states with multiple DISCOMs (UP has five, Karnataka has five, Rajasthan has three), selecting the wrong DISCOM at registration routes your application incorrectly.

Installation before feasibility approval. Non-compliant installations are disqualified from subsidy regardless of quality.

Using an unregistered vendor. Even if the work is excellent, subsidy eligibility requires a PM Surya Ghar-registered installer.

Bank account name mismatch. If the electricity connection is in your father’s name but you upload your own bank account, the transfer can be delayed. Ideally, the bank account should be in the name of the electricity consumer.

How to check your application status

Log in to pmsuryaghar.gov.in. The portal dashboard shows your current application stage, any pending actions, and any messages from your DISCOM. SMS updates are also sent to your registered mobile at key stages.

If your application appears stuck at any stage for more than 15 working days with no update, use the portal’s grievance submission mechanism to raise a formal complaint.

Summing up

The PM Surya Ghar online application is manageable if you follow the sequence correctly: register first, wait for feasibility approval, then install. The most common reasons applications fail are sequence errors (installing before approval), wrong DISCOM selection, and consumer number mismatches. Getting these right from the start saves weeks of delay.