AC Upgrade. BSES has an exchange offer for you

Power distribution company BSES Delhi has just launched a scheme where its consumers can exchange their old AC’s for a new one from well known brands at a discount of upto 47%. At a time when well funded e-commerce giants were the only players offering such ‘deals’, this move by BSES is certainly interesting, as it seeks to get ‘inefficient’ ACs replaced in its market.

The DISCOM will be distributing ACs of Voltas, Godrej and LG as a part of the exchange scheme, which was kicked off for consumers in West Delhi. Similar schemes are in the pipeline to be launched in East and Central Delhi by BSES Yamuna Power Limited (BYPL). The first phase will distribute only 10,000 ACs.

So amazing offers, well-known brands, and limited supply. All the right ticks, as far as consumer interest goes. What could go wrong? Well, trust, for one. When we spoke to some BSES consumers, reactions ranged from “ will need to check if these really are the best prices” to “ am not sure I will go for this, as I don’t see any support coming in from BSES or otherwise in case things go wrong” to finally” a 15 day waiting period? Half the summers will be over in case there is a further delay”.

But BSES does have one final hook. They claim that according to BEE ratings a consumer can save up to Rs 7,500 in annual electricity bill payments by replacing their old air conditioners with newer models, as old ACs are known to consume more power. The company in a bid to reduce the gap between the minimum and maximum power demand in summers due to use of ACs initiated the scheme. While cutting down on the peak power demands, shifting from older to newer air conditioners would also reduce the amount of Hydrofluorocarbons that are emitted into the atmosphere by the old ACs. The company is currently meeting the capitals power demands due to the preparatory arrangements that were made to procure power from Himachal Pradesh and Bhutan.  Delhi is expected to see peak power demand soar to over 7000 MW this summer, a new record over the 6400 MW last year, as the city continues to relentlessly grow and power thirsty ACs spread out to a larger user base.

Consumers need to register for the scheme through the BSES helpline: 011-3999970 and their toll free number: 19123. Consumers will be able to select the brands and type (split or window) of the AC while registering for the scheme. The new Air Conditioners will be delivered within 15 days from the date of registration.

The company is also in the process of distributing 2.5 lakh highly subsidised five stars rated energy efficient fans in collaboration with EESL. They claim that by opting for these fans consumers can save anywhere from 335 to 1250 per fan per year. Apart from saving money, these 40% discounted (subsidised) fans would save nearly 20 million units of electricity.