New Delhi: Launching Energy Efficiency Services Limited’s (EESL) National Efficient Cooking Programme (NECP) and Energy Efficient Fans Programme (EEFP) on Thursday, Minister for Power and New and Renewable Energy RK Singh asked EESL to do with the cooking stove what it did with the LED bulbs under the UJALA scheme. “You need to do with the cooking stove what you did with the LED,” Singh said. The UJALA scheme is considered a milestone in the widespread adoption of LED bulbs in India. It was executed by EESL. The programme not only took LED bulbs to every home across the country but also drove down the cost of LED bulbs from Rs 300-350 per bulb to Rs 70-80.
As part of the two programmes launched on Thursday — NECP and EEFP — EESL will distribute 1 crore efficient BLDC (Brushless Direct Current) fans and 20 lakh energy-efficient induction cook stoves nationwide.
Addressing the gathering of EESL officials and others, the Union Power & NRE Minister underlined the strategic imperative due to which a shift towards electric cooking is necessary. “We have cooking based on imported Liquified Natural Gas. We can afford it financially, but in strategic terms, it is not advisable to depend on other countries for energy needs. This is one reason we need to shift from imported sources of energy to indigenous forms, and one way to do that is to shift our cooking to electricity.”
The minister stressed that there is no difference in food cooked on flame versus that cooked using induction cooking stove. He added that the electric cooking will also address the problem of poor families not being able to afford gas cylinders despite the subsidy and make it affordable for them to switch to clean cooking.
The NECP is a subset of the Clean Cooking Scheme. It aims to introduce induction-based cook-stoves, offering a cost advantage of 25-30 percent over traditional cooking methods, promising both energy savings and cost-effective cooking solutions while reducing the consumption of cooking gas.
Sending a message to all manufacturers, Singh said that inefficient fans will be rapidly phased out. “The fans brought out by EESL are Five-Star. We are going to phase out inefficient fans at a rapid pace. All manufacturers in both organised and unorganised sectors may take note. We want the people of India to get the best. We want to be and will continue to be a world leader.”
The annual ceiling fan market in India comprises approximately 4.4 crore units. Notably, ceiling fans contribute to approximately 40 percent of total residential electricity consumption, which accounts for over a quarter of India’s overall electricity usage. By replacing all current ceiling fans with the most efficient models available today, nearly 20 percent of total residential electricity consumption can be reduced. EESL is aiming to capitalise on this potential for savings by deploying 1 crore 5-star energy-efficient ceiling fans across India.
Speaking at the launch event, Power Secretary Pankaj Agarwal said that the two programmes are outstanding and will play a catalytic role in driving energy efficiency in India. He said that the EEFP will lead to a huge replacement demand and asked Indian manufacturers to gear up to meet the demand. “The demand aggregation being provided by EESL will bring economies of scale and also create huge outreach,” said Agarwal.
Agarwal added that low-hanging fruits for the electrification of economy are the electrification of mobility and of cooking. “Electric induction-cooking market is about 10 million units a year. We have huge ambitions for energy transition. EESL initiative will help expand access, bring prices down and provide benefits to citizens at large,” Agarwal said.
Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) Director General Abhay Bakre emphasised that energy transition has to take place in an affordable and equitable manner, keeping in mind national circumstances. “In this, not only supply side, but demand side efficiency improvement and demand side energy management are also critical. We have already put forth a very clear roadmap for doubling energy efficiency. These demand side measures have the potential of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by almost 40 percent by 2050,” he said.