Delhi has made Aadhaar identification mandatory for consumers seeking benefits under its power subsidy scheme, a move that will affect millions of domestic electricity users as the number of beneficiaries and the government’s subsidy bill continue to rise.
The requirement was notified by the Power Department under Section 7 of the Aadhaar Act, 2016. According to the notification, individuals will have to furnish their Aadhaar number through the government’s web portal or through any other mode prescribed by the administration to receive the subsidy.
Consumers without Aadhaar enrolment in Delhi will have to apply for it and submit the required details using their 14-digit Enrolment ID number, the notification said. The government has stated that establishing a beneficiary’s identity is a condition for receiving the subsidy benefit.
The scheme is administered through Delhi’s electricity distribution agencies and public electricity providers in their respective areas. These include BSES Rajdhani Power Limited, BSES Yamuna Power Limited, Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited, the New Delhi Municipal Council and Military Engineer Services.
Under the existing scheme, domestic consumers receive electricity free of cost for monthly consumption of up to 200 units. Consumers using between 201 and 400 units a month receive a 50 per cent subsidy, capped at Rs 800 per month.
The change comes as Delhi’s electricity consumer base has expanded by nearly 40 per cent over the past decade. The city currently has more than 73 lakh power consumers, according to official figures cited in the report.
The number of domestic consumers using the subsidy has also increased. In 2024-25, approximately 52.3 lakh consumers, or 84 per cent of the 73 lakh domestic consumers, availed themselves of the benefit. In 2025-26, the number rose to around 55 lakh, representing 87 per cent of domestic consumers.
The financial commitment has increased alongside the beneficiary base. By February 2026, the Delhi government’s allocation for power subsidy had reached Rs 4,037.63 crore. For the financial year 2026-27, the government has budgeted Rs 3,500 crore for the scheme.
The administration has said Aadhaar-based identification will enable beneficiaries to receive subsidies and services more conveniently, reduce the need for multiple identity documents and improve transparency and efficiency. The new requirement places the discoms and other administering agencies at the centre of the process, as they will implement the subsidy conditions across their respective service areas.
The notification does not, in the supplied material, specify a separate deadline for existing beneficiaries to complete the Aadhaar identification process or detail the procedure for consumers who face difficulties in enrolment or authentication. The next steps will therefore depend on the implementation instructions issued through the government portal and the electricity providers.
