Buy your own system or join UtCS?
A financially fair comparison using the same feasible array, generation, load, tariff and export assumptions across every option.
Illustrative sample: a residential home using 500 kWh/month. Run the calculator to use your own figures.
Calculate my savingsThree bills, side by side
Your current CEB bill, the true cost of buying a system, and the UtCS option.
Current CEB bill
Status quo — all from the grid
- Grid electricity — 500 kWhRs 4,600.29
Monthly total
Rs 4,600.29
Buy your own system
True total cost · Rs 123,990.00 upfront
- Residual CEB bill — 300 kWh night/gridRs 1,696.99
- Loan repayment — Rs 123,990 over 3 yrs @ 8%Rs 3,885.40
- Inverter replacement provisionRs 150.00
- Maintenance (O&M)Rs 231.00
Monthly total
Rs 5,963.39
+ Rs 123,990.00 upfront
UtCS option
No capex, no maintenance
- Residual CEB bill — 300 kWh night/gridRs 1,696.99
- Solar units via UtCS — 200 kWh @ 30% below CEBRs 1,087.87
Monthly total
Rs 2,784.86
The buy column finances the net outlay with a 3-year loan at 8% to show the real monthly cost while you repay; the upfront outlay and return on investment are detailed below.
Indicative bill of quantities (BOQ) — buying the system
| PV modules | Rs 71,148.00 |
| Inverter | Rs 27,104.00 |
| Mounting & racking | Rs 18,634.00 |
| Cabling, protection & earthing | Rs 13,552.00 |
| Bi-directional meter & grid connection | Rs 10,164.00 |
| Installation labour | Rs 18,634.00 |
| Design, permits & CEB SSDG application | Rs 10,164.00 |
| Total installed cost | Rs 169,400.00 |
| Less: cash support | − Rs 20,000.00 |
| Less: income-tax allowance (15%) | − Rs 25,410.00 |
| Net upfront outlay | Rs 123,990.00 |
Includes the inverter replacement (Rs 45,000.00) due in year 12, provisioned monthly within the buy bill.
Rs 4,035.40
3.9 yrs
25.9%
Rs 632,700.00
What your self-generated units actually cost (buying)
Units no longer bought from CEB
200 kWh
served by the PV (day + net metering)
True cost per solar unit
Rs 21.33/kWh
net payback + O&M + replacement, levelised
Equivalent CEB rate
Rs 9.20/kWh
above the current grid rate
True cost/unit = (monthly payback net of support + maintenance + inverter-replacement provision) ÷ monthly solar units. This is what your self-generated energy really costs once every cost is counted.
CEB cash support — qualifying criteria
Applied: Rs 20,000.00 deducted from the installed cost.
- Residential CEB customer in good standing, meter in the applicant's name.
- Grid-tied system under the CEB SSDG / net-metering scheme.
- Installed by an accredited installer, within the scheme's capacity cap.
- One grant per household / connection point; subject to available funding.
Income-tax allowance — qualifying criteria
Applied: Rs 25,410.00 (15% of installed cost).
- Individual taxpayer filing with the MRA, with sufficient taxable income.
- Deduction against the household's renewable-energy equipment spend.
- Invoice/receipt in the taxpayer's name, retained as evidence.
- Actual benefit depends on your tax position; confirm with the MRA / an adviser.
Where your units come from
Monthly use
500 kWh
Solar used (day)
200 kWh
Exported to grid (PSH)
198 kWh
Imported (night)
300 kWh
Units no longer bought from CEB now come from your PV. Surplus generated during peak-sun hours (PSH) is fed back to CEB as energy netting (net metering) and offsets the units imported at night.
Cumulative expenditure
Illustrative estimateEvery 10 years an owned system must be fully replaced: the owner re-incurs the capital cost (inflated, with CEB support and the tax allowance still deducted) — the step-ups you see on the "cash" and "loan" curves. That is why buying does not stay permanently below the UtCS option, which carries no capex and no replacement.
Export this comparison
The export reflects your edited assumptions and reference UTCS-61B18D.
UtCS preserves your upfront capital and provides the services included in your agreement. Buying may deliver greater long-term savings if you can fund the investment and manage the asset. Compare the figures for your property.