In a landmark achievement for the capital's power subsidy program, more than nine out of ten households in Delhi availed themselves of electricity subsidy benefits in December 2025. This marks the widest reach of the free electricity initiative since its inception, with over 73% of homes not paying any bill at all that month.
Steady Growth in Subsidy Coverage
The year 2025 witnessed sustained high coverage levels, with nearly 8 in 10 domestic consumers benefiting from the scheme on average. This annual average was higher than the figures recorded in both 2024 and 2023, even as the total number of electricity connections in the city rose to 63 lakh. The scheme, announced by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in 2019, provides free electricity to households consuming up to 200 units per month and a 50% subsidy for those using between 201 and 400 units.
On an annual basis, the number of consumers using up to 200 units—who pay nothing—averaged around 31 to 32 lakh in 2025. This was an increase from about 30 lakh in 2024 and nearly 28 lakh in 2023. In percentage terms, this segment alone constituted roughly half of Delhi's domestic consumers in 2025, showing growth from previous years.
Seasonal Variations and Annual Trends
A detailed comparison of monthly data across 2023, 2024, and 2025 reveals that while beneficiary numbers fluctuated sharply with the seasons, the subsidy's overall coverage widened in absolute terms. The total number of domestic consumers has been climbing steadily: from about 57 lakh in 2023 to 60 lakh in 2024 and 63 lakh in 2025.
Against this expanding base, the average number of consumers availing the subsidy (those using up to 400 units monthly) was approximately:
- 43-44 lakh in 2023 (75-76% coverage)
- 47-48 lakh in 2024 (78-79% coverage)
- 50-51 lakh in 2025 (79-80% coverage)
In absolute numbers, beneficiaries crossed the 58 lakh mark in November and December 2025, the highest levels seen in the three-year period. December 2025 alone saw about 58.7 lakh consumers receiving benefits, translating to a staggering 93% of all 63 lakh domestic consumers, a spike attributed to lower winter power consumption.
Summer Resilience and Government Outlook
Even during peak summer months, when air conditioner use typically drives consumption beyond the 400-unit threshold, beneficiary numbers in 2025 remained higher than in the preceding two years. Category-wise data underscores this trend. Consumers using up to 200 units remained the scheme's backbone, ranging from about 18-19 lakh in peak summer to over 46 lakh in December 2025.
Those in the 201-400 unit bracket, who pay half their bill, consistently numbered between 12 to 23 lakh through the year. Compared to 2024, these figures were higher in most months of 2025, suggesting that despite increased appliance usage, a significant share of households stayed within the subsidy net.
Seasonal variation remains a key feature. Subsidy coverage dipped sharply between May and August. For instance, in August 2023, total beneficiaries fell to about 29 lakh (just over 50% of consumers). However, the same month in 2024 and 2025 showed improvement, with around 38 lakh and 42.5 lakh beneficiaries respectively, indicating possible gains in efficiency, behavioural changes, or shifting consumption patterns.
A senior government official noted, "The largest share of beneficiaries continues to be households consuming up to 200 units, which indicates stable basic consumption levels despite an increase in overall electricity connections." Another official highlighted, "What is significant in 2025 is the consistency of the number of beneficiaries."
Overall, the data confirms that in 2025, nearly four out of every five domestic consumers in Delhi benefited from free or subsidised electricity at some point during the year. Consequently, the city's electricity subsidy expenditure is set to reach a new peak in the 2025-26 financial year. Government sources indicate the total outgo is likely to cross Rs 4,000 crore. The government had earmarked Rs 3,849 crore for the subsidy in the current financial year, which is about Rs 250 crore higher than the amount spent in 2024-25. The power department has now sought an additional Rs 361 crore in the revised budget to clear pending subsidy dues.
