DG Running Cost CalculatorRs/kWh, monthly bill, vs grid

Four cost components: (1) Fuel - by far the largest, computed as kWh delivered x SFC (litres per kWh) x diesel price per litre. (2) AMC - optional Annual Maintenance Contract, entered as a flat Rs/month and divided across kWh delivered. (3) Operator - per-shift wage auto-multiplied by Math.ceil(hours per day / 8) so a 12 hour/day operation counts 2 shifts. (4) Lube and filters - typically 1 percent of fuel cost as a rough industry rule, adjustable 0 to 3 percent. We deliberately exclude capex amortization, capital cost, and downtime opportunity cost, because those are scenario-specific and the Rent vs Buy calculator handles them properly. The result is the genuine all-in operating Rs/kWh that hits your bill every month.

No - this is the correct answer. Diesel generation is intrinsically more expensive than grid power in India. A typical CPCB IV+ DG burns roughly 0.27 litres of diesel to deliver 1 kWh; at Rs 95/L that alone is Rs 25.65 fuel cost per kWh, before AMC, operator, or lube. Industrial grid tariffs across India sit between Rs 6.5 and Rs 10.5 per kWh. So a 2.5x to 4x cost premium for DG is normal physics, not an error. The honest framing: DG is the right answer for backup, peak shaving, off-grid, and reliability-critical loads - it is the wrong answer for baseload generation when grid is available. The calculator is honest about this so you can make the right strategic call (lower SFC, AMC discipline, right-size with rental, or accept it as the cost of insurance against blackouts).

Each state entry is sourced from the latest published tariff order of the relevant State Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC for Maharashtra, DERC for Delhi, RERC for Rajasthan, UPERC for UP, etc.). The number shown is a blended landed Rs/kWh including the energy charge, fixed/demand charge averaged over a typical industrial load factor, FSA/FPPCA, and electricity duty. Each tariff card displays the source label, effective-from date, last-verified date, and a 'Verify on regulator site' external link so you can confirm the latest slab in seconds. Tariffs change quarterly via fuel surcharge mechanisms and yearly via tariff orders - we refresh the dataset every quarter and surface a freshness banner. For maximum precision, use the override field with your actual electricity bill rate (kWh divided by amount paid).

SFC (Specific Fuel Consumption) is litres of diesel burned per kWh delivered. It is the single biggest lever on your DG Rs/kWh because fuel is 80-95 percent of total operating cost. Typical values: a CPCB IV+ Greaves at 75 percent load runs ~0.27 L/kWh; a CPCB II/III set runs 0.30-0.34; a poorly-maintained or oversized set running at 20-30 percent load can drift to 0.40+. Going from 0.34 to 0.27 saves you roughly 20 percent on Rs/kWh - that alone often pays back a CPCB IV+ retrofit or right-sized rental in under 24 months at heavy duty. Always check your set's nameplate or last fuel test report. If you do not know it, the calculator's 0.27 default for CPCB IV+ at moderate load is a reasonable starting point.

AMC discipline pays for itself when (1) the engine is more than 3 years old, (2) you run the set above 8 hours/day, or (3) the load is critical. A well-maintained engine with on-spec injectors, clean filters, and timely valve clearance maintains its rated SFC. A neglected engine drifts up 5-10 percent in fuel burn within 18 months - on a 250 kVA running 8 hours/day, that 5 percent is Rs 8 lakh/year in extra diesel, far more than any AMC plan. Rental fleets always run AMC for exactly this reason. Toggle AMC on in the calculator with a realistic Rs/month figure (Alpha typically quotes 2-3 percent of new purchase price per year for comprehensive AMC) and watch how it modestly bumps Rs/kWh while protecting your fuel SFC over time.

Only include operator cost if it actually applies to your operation. If your facility's electrician or maintenance technician handles the genset as part of their existing duties, then there is no incremental operator cost - leave it toggled off. If you hire a dedicated operator (common for plants running over 12 hours/day, hospitals, or 24x7 sites), enter the per-shift wage. The calculator auto-counts shifts: less than 8 hours/day = 1 shift, 9-16 hours = 2 shifts, 17-24 hours = 3 shifts. Typical North India operator wages run Rs 500-800 per shift. The toggle keeps the result honest for everyone from a 4 hr/day SME backup to a 24x7 industrial site.

Diesel engines are most efficient at 70-85 percent of rated load. Below 30-40 percent load, SFC degrades sharply (typical drift: 0.27 L/kWh at 75 percent load can become 0.34-0.40 L/kWh at 25 percent load). The reason is incomplete combustion: cylinder temperatures stay too low, fuel injection timing becomes suboptimal, and unburnt fuel washes down cylinder walls and dilutes the lube oil. The financial impact: a 250 kVA running at 25 percent load burns ~25 percent more fuel per kWh than the same set at 75 percent load - and the genset wears out faster too. The calculator does not auto-correct SFC for low load (we trust your input), but if your load percent is set under 40 percent, you should bump SFC up by 10-20 percent to reflect reality, or consider right-sizing with a smaller rental.

Five scenarios where DG is the right answer despite the 3x cost premium: (1) Backup against grid outages where downtime cost (lost production, spoiled goods, missed SLA) far exceeds the DG cost premium. (2) Off-grid or weak-grid sites where extending grid connection is impossible or capex-prohibitive. (3) Peak shaving in high-tariff states (Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu) where avoiding the top demand slab can offset some DG cost. (4) Construction, mining, and project sites with no permanent grid. (5) Critical-load installations (hospitals, data centres, telecom towers) where grid alone cannot meet reliability targets. The calculator's recommendation engine flags which scenario applies based on your hours/day and grid tariff, and points you toward rental, AMC, or new CPCB IV+ accordingly.

The pre-loaded numbers are blended state-level industrial averages drawn from regulator tariff orders. Your actual bill can vary because of: (1) demand charges scaling with your contracted kVA load, (2) time-of-day adders (peak hours 5-10 PM cost 25-50 percent more in many states), (3) fuel surcharge adjustments that change quarterly, (4) electricity duty rates that vary by state, and (5) HT vs LT supply tariff differences. For the most precise comparison, take your last electricity bill, divide total amount paid by total kWh consumed, and enter that landed Rs/kWh in the override field. The pre-loaded number is the right answer for a back-of-envelope estimate; your bill rate is the right answer for a real decision.

No - the calculator is brand-neutral. SFC defaults (0.25 to 0.34 L/kWh) span the realistic range for any major Indian OEM (Greaves, Kirloskar, Cummins, Mahindra, Ashok Leyland, Eicher, Powerica, Sterling, Sudhir). The DISCOM tariff data is regulator-sourced, not OEM-sourced. Alpha Diesels is mentioned only because we built the tool and as one option for getting AMC, rentals, or new CPCB IV+ Greaves quotes once you have a number to validate. If your existing genset is from another OEM, the calculator's outputs are still valid - and if you want help comparing OEMs on warranty, parts availability, or service network, the WhatsApp link gives you a direct line to our engineering team.

No - the calculator deliberately stays focused on operating Rs/kWh: fuel, AMC, operator, lube. Capex amortization, depreciation, and capital cost (interest on the loan you took to buy the genset, or opportunity cost on the cash you spent) are scenario-specific and depend heavily on horizon, financing terms, and resale assumptions. Bundling them into Rs/kWh would muddy the comparison with grid (which has no equivalent capex line for the user). For the full picture including capex, financing, AMC, RECD retrofit, fuel, and resale value across rent / new / used, use our Rent vs Buy ROI Calculator (linked at the bottom of the result page).

Diesel pump price already includes excise + state VAT (which is why diesel is Rs 88-102/L at the pump rather than the unloaded refinery price). DISCOM tariffs in the database are blended landed rates that include electricity duty and FSA but exclude GST (electricity is currently outside GST). AMC and operator wages will attract GST 18 percent if billed by a vendor; if you want GST-inclusive figures, gross up those entries by 1.18. The calculator's job is the per-kWh comparison, so we keep tax handling consistent with how the user actually pays each line item. Ask your auditor or our team for the precise GST treatment for your billing setup.

Yes - the 'Download free running-cost PDF report' button generates a multi-page PDF with: a navy header carrying your kVA and operating profile, the headline trio (DG cost / grid benchmark / cost premium), a violet honest-framing banner explaining why DG always loses to grid on price, the monthly bill breakdown (kWh / DG bill / grid-equivalent / annual DG bill), a cost-component bar chart, the recommendation panel for your scenario, and a source citation with a clickable 'Verify on regulator site' link to the actual tariff order. The PDF includes Alpha Diesels contact details (phone, WhatsApp, web, email) so the CFO can pick up the conversation without re-running the inputs. No signup, no email gate.

The Fuel Consumption Calculator is narrower: it tells you litres per hour, monthly fuel cost, CO2 emissions, and a basic diesel-vs-grid Rs/kWh estimate using a single national grid tariff. This DG Running Cost Calculator is wider: it folds AMC + operator + lube into the Rs/kWh, lets you compare against your specific state DISCOM tariff (with regulator sources), runs a 5-branch recommendation engine (rental vs buy vs AMC vs backup-only vs balanced), shows a cost-component breakdown donut, and produces a more polished PDF with honest framing. Use Fuel Consumption Calculator for a quick fuel-only sanity check; use this one when you want a CFO-grade Rs/kWh number with strategic guidance.