Household energy survey
A primary survey of how households across India use and pay for electricity — and what it would take for them to switch to solar.
500+
Target households
2
Minutes to take part
Open
Status
Data collection is underway. Findings will be published here once the sample is large enough to be meaningful. Take the survey →
Research questions
What this research sets out to answer
How much do households use — and pay?
Monthly electricity consumption and bills across home types, household sizes and states.
Who is adopting solar?
How rooftop and mixed solar adoption differs by region, dwelling type and consumption level.
How much does cooling drive demand?
The link between air-conditioner ownership and household electricity use and cost.
What is the carbon cost?
Estimated household emissions from grid electricity, and what switching to solar would avoid.
The data
What the survey collects
Each response captures a snapshot of one household's electricity use. Together, they will show how consumption, cost and solar adoption vary across India.
Every participant gets an instant, personalised report on their own energy use and carbon footprint.
Questions cover
- Household size and home type
- City and state
- Monthly electricity use (kWh) and bill
- Primary energy source — grid, solar, mixed or generator
- Number of air conditioners and major appliances
- Electric-vehicle ownership
Coming next
How the research will unfold
01
Collect
Gather responses from at least 500 households across multiple states, in both urban and rural India.
02
Analyse
Study consumption, bills and solar adoption by region and home type, alongside interviews with people working in the sector.
03
Publish
Share the findings and policy recommendations on this page, with the full methodology and its limitations.
Recommendations
Switching to green energy
01
Rooftop solar installation
For households in high-sunlight regions, rooftop solar panels can reduce electricity bills by 40–60%. Central subsidies under the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana make this increasingly accessible.
02
Energy-efficient appliances
Switching to BEE 5-star rated appliances — especially ACs — can reduce household energy consumption by 20–30% with no lifestyle change required.
03
Time-of-use electricity plans
Some state DISCOMs now offer time-of-use tariffs. Shifting high-consumption activities to off-peak hours can meaningfully reduce monthly bills.
Methodology
How this research is being conducted
A self-reported online survey of households across India, with explicit research consent and every response anonymised before analysis.
Full methodology & limitations▾
Survey method
Self-reported online survey
Sample size
Ongoing — target 500+ households
Geographic scope
Urban and rural India, multiple states
Data collection
Ongoing
Anonymisation
All responses anonymised before analysis
Consent
Explicit research consent required from every participant
Limitations
This is a self-reported survey with a non-random sample. Results will reflect respondents who chose to participate and may not be fully representative of the Indian population. The research is designed to be exploratory — identifying patterns and generating hypotheses rather than establishing definitive causal relationships.
Carbon footprint
The climate cost of household electricity
India's electricity grid has one of the highest carbon emission factors in the world — 0.82 kg CO₂ per kWh. Every unit of grid electricity consumed contributes directly to greenhouse gas emissions.
0.82
kg CO₂/kWh
India
0.58
kg CO₂/kWh
China
0.23
kg CO₂/kWh
EU Average
0.02
kg CO₂/kWh
Solar (India)
Average Indian household — monthly carbon footprint from electricity
Monthly consumption
national average
~250 kWh
CO₂ emitted per month
0.82 kg × 250 kWh
~205 kg
CO₂ emitted per year
from electricity alone
~2.46 tonnes
Trees needed to offset
per household per year
~11 trees
If the same household switched to rooftop solar:
CO₂ per month
98% reduction
~4 kg
CO₂ per year
vs 2.46 tonnes on grid
~50 kg
Annual saving
CO₂ avoided per household
2.41 tonnes
Bill reduction
depending on system size
40–60%
Add your household to the dataset
The more households take part, the more reliable the findings will be. Take the 2-minute survey and get your own personalised energy report.
Check Your Energy Use →