Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), under the Ministry of Power, today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG) for distribution of energy efficient appliances under the flagship Unnat Jeevan by Affordable LEDs and appliances for All (UJALA) scheme. According to the agreement, Oil Marketing Companies- IOCL, BPCL and HPCL will take up distribution of LED Bulbs, LED Tubelights and energy efficient Fans from select retail outlets across the country. The distribution of these energy efficient appliances will be conducted in a phased manner across these select outlets. In the first phase, distribution will commence from the states of Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra.

The MoUs were signed with Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) in the august presence of Shri Piyush Goyal, Minister of State (IC) for power, coal, new and renewable energy and mines, and Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of State (IC) for Petroleum and Natural Gas here.

As part of the MoUs with the OMCs, EESL will make the entire upfront investment for ensuring availability of the products at the outlets and no upfront capital cost will be borne by the OMCs barring manpower and space. The consumer can purchase high quality 9W LED Bulbs for INR 70, 20 W LED Tubelight for INR 220 and five-star rated ceiling fan for INR 1,200.

Addressing the occasion, Piyush Goyal, Minister of State (IC) for power, coal, new and renewable energy and mines, said, "It is worth noting that two important ministries of the Government of India have come together to realise Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of every citizen having access to energy efficient appliances. The marketing network of the three oil marketing companies is unparalleled and this tie-up will only accelerate and scale up the distribution of energy efficient appliances across the length and breadth of the country."

In his speech, Shri. Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of State (IC) for petroleum, and natural gas, said, "It is the vision of the Government of India to reduce our dependence on import of energy by upto 10%. The petrol pumps owned by the three oil marketing companies can boast of a very high footfall. It is a great opportunity for the two departments to come together and utilise this network for ensuring LED bulbs and tubelights reach every corner of our country. Sh. Pradhan said that the ecosystem of non-fuel retail business around the retail outlets will not only help drive the non-fuel business but will also lead to customer convenience in their own vicinity."