BEST’s South Mumbai users can now go solar

South Mumbai power consumers of Brihanmumbai Electric Supply & Transport (BEST) can now avail of solar power, which has already been started for those who applied mid-January.

With 10 lakh BEST consumers crying hoarse over power bills being three times the normal in October, BEST’s power wing has already started supplying solar power to offices of the Consumer Guidance Society of India (CGSI) at Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) from January 15.

According to officials, slowly and steadily, more people seem interested in the facility and have approached them in order to shift to solar power.

“Soon after CGSI, Mazgaon Dock and Reserve Bank of India approached us for their Malabar Hill quarters and are users of solar power too,” said an official on condition of anonymity. Officials hope more and more residential complexes will come forward to make the shift. “The cost of net meters will be borne by us partially; the main amount will have to be given either by the society, trust or commercial establishment that applied for it,” the official added.

Residential meters come under 500 units at Rs 7 per unit, so if a family in south Mumbai consumes 400 units, they can try to reduce their power bill by splitting consumption to 100 to 150 units of solar energy which will be free and pay for the remaining 350 to 400 units. The cherry on top being that if solar energy consumers have leftover solar power, the same can be transferred to BEST which will in turn give the consumer a rebate.