Explained in One Minute
The PM Ujjwala Yojana provides women from poor households with a free LPG connection. There’s no deposit to pay. The government also gives you a first free refill and, in most cases, a free stove.
On top of that, you get a subsidy on your cylinder refills through the year.
As of June 2026, this subsidy applies to your first 4 refills a year, not 9 as before, so check your current entitlement before planning your budget around it.
What Is PM Ujjwala Yojana?
Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) started in 2016. Its goal was simple but important: get poor households off firewood, coal, and kerosene, and onto clean-burning LPG gas instead.
Before this scheme, millions of women across India cooked over open fires or basic stoves. This exposed them to smoke every single day. It also meant hours spent gathering firewood, time that could have gone toward work, rest, or their children.
The scheme is run by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. It works through the three big government oil companies — Indian Oil (Indane), Bharat Petroleum (Bharatgas), and Hindustan Petroleum (HP Gas).
The scheme has grown in phases. Ujjwala 2.0, launched later, extended free connections to more households, including migrant families who often struggled to prove their address for a normal connection.
As of 2026, the scheme has crossed 10.5 crore connections nationwide, and the government has approved a further 25 lakh new connections this year.
Why Does It Matter
Cooking over firewood or coal isn’t just inconvenient. It’s a genuine health hazard. Indoor air pollution from solid fuel cooking is one of the leading causes of respiratory illness among women and children in India.
PM Ujjwala Yojana addresses this directly by removing the two biggest barriers to switching to LPG: the upfront connection deposit and the cost of the stove itself.
For a household with very little spare cash, even a modest LPG deposit can be genuinely out of reach. This scheme removes that barrier entirely.
Key Details at a Glance
| Detail | Amount / Criteria |
|---|---|
| Connection | Free, no security deposit |
| Financial assistance, 14.2 kg connection | ₹1,600 |
| Financial assistance, 5 kg connection | ₹1,150 |
| Refill subsidy | ₹300 per cylinder |
| Subsidized refills per year (as of June 2026) | First 4 refills only |
| Subsidy validity | Extended through March 31, 2027 |
| Eligible age | Women, 18 years and above |
| Household requirement | BPL, SC/ST, AAY, PMAY-G, SECC, or other approved categories |
| e-KYC | Mandatory for subsidy to be credited |
| Application portal | pmuy.gov.in |
| Helpline | 1800-266-6696 (toll-free), Emergency: 1906 |
Who Qualifies
You can apply for PM Ujjwala Yojana if you are:
- A woman, 18 years or older.
- From a household that falls under one of these approved categories:
- Below Poverty Line (BPL)
- Scheduled Caste (SC) or Scheduled Tribe (ST)
- Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) card holder
- PMAY-Gramin (rural housing scheme) beneficiary
- Identified through SECC (Socio-Economic Caste Census) data
- Belonging to certain other government-notified categories, such as tea garden workers, forest dwellers, or residents of river islands
If you don’t have a BPL card or fall under one of the listed categories, you may still be able to apply using a 14-point self-declaration, which is accepted as proof in many cases. Migrant workers who don’t have a ration card from their current location can also apply using a self-declaration affidavit.
Important: Your household must not already have an existing LPG connection. This scheme is meant to bring first-time LPG users into the fold, not to add a second connection to a household that already has one.
What You Actually Get
- A brand-new LPG connection, with no deposit required.
- Financial assistance of ₹1,600 towards a standard 14.2 kg connection, or ₹1,150 for a smaller 5 kg connection (useful for households with very light cooking needs).
- In most cases, your first refill and a stove are also provided free of charge, though this can vary slightly depending on your Oil Marketing Company and state.
- An ongoing subsidy of ₹300 per cylinder refill, credited directly to your Aadhaar-linked bank account.
The Subsidy Change You Need to Know About
This is genuinely important, and many older guides online haven’t caught up with it yet. Until recently, the subsidy applied to up to 9 refills a year. As of a Cabinet decision on 7 June 2026, this has been reduced to just 4 subsidized refills a year. The ₹300 per-cylinder rate itself hasn’t changed, but since fewer refills now qualify, your total yearly benefit has dropped from roughly ₹2,700 to about ₹1,200 a year.
From your 5th refill onward in a financial year, you pay the full market price, with no subsidy applied. The subsidy for the qualifying refills continues to run through 31 March 2027, based on the current Cabinet approval, though these terms are reviewed periodically and can change again.
How the Subsidy Reaches You
The subsidy isn’t deducted at the time of purchase. You pay the full cylinder price when you book your refill. The ₹300 subsidy is then credited separately, directly into your Aadhaar-linked bank account, through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).
For this to work correctly, two things must be in place:
- e-KYC completion. As of 2026, e-KYC (typically done through Aadhaar-based face authentication or biometric verification) is mandatory. If you haven’t completed this, your subsidy payments will stop, even if you’re otherwise eligible.
- An active NPCI DBT link. Your bank account needs to be properly Aadhaar-seeded and linked through the National Payments Corporation of India’s DBT mapper. If this link isn’t active, your subsidy can be delayed or missed entirely, even though you’ve paid full price for your cylinder.
How to Apply
- Visit the official portal at pmuy.gov.in and click “Apply for New Ujjwala Connection.” Alternatively, you can visit your nearest LPG distributor (Indane, Bharatgas, or HP Gas) directly.
- Choose your preferred Oil Marketing Company.
- Complete your e-KYC using Aadhaar OTP or biometric verification, as prompted.
- Fill in your personal details, including your ration card or category proof, and your Aadhaar-linked bank account details.
- Submit your application. Most required documents are now accepted through self-declaration, so you typically won’t need to hunt down separate certificates in most cases.
- Once approved, your connection is set up by your local distributor, who will also guide you through your first refill and stove collection.
Common Mistakes That Delay Approval or Subsidy Payment
- Not completing e-KYC. This is the single biggest reason subsidy payments stop for otherwise-eligible beneficiaries. Complete this as early as possible, and redo it if your distributor asks you to.
- An inactive or incorrectly linked bank account. If your Aadhaar isn’t properly seeded with your bank account through NPCI, your subsidy has nowhere to land. Check this directly with your bank if you’re not sure.
- Applying when your household already has a connection. This scheme is meant for first-time LPG users. An existing connection in the household, even under a different family member’s name, can disqualify a fresh application.
- Assuming the subsidy still covers 9 refills. Since the June 2026 revision, only your first 4 refills in a financial year qualify. Budget your yearly LPG costs with this updated figure in mind.
- Paying a distributor who asks for a “deposit” or extra fee. The connection itself is genuinely free. If any distributor asks for payment beyond the actual cost of the cylinder refill, report it to the helpline at 1906.
How to Check Your Subsidy Status
You can check whether your subsidy has been credited in two ways:
- Visit mylpg.in, select “Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana,” and check your subsidy status using your registered mobile number or LPG consumer number.
- Visit pfms.nic.in and use the “Know Your Payment” option to track your DBT credit directly.
If your subsidy hasn’t arrived and you’ve completed e-KYC, visit your nearest distributor with your Aadhaar card for biometric re-verification, since this resolves most payment issues.
Bottom Line
PM Ujjwala Yojana removes the two biggest barriers to switching from firewood or kerosene to clean LPG cooking gas: the connection deposit and the stove cost. Once connected, you also get a ₹300 subsidy on your first 4 refills each year. To keep receiving this subsidy, make sure your e-KYC is complete, and your bank account is properly Aadhaar-linked, since these are now the two most common reasons genuine beneficiaries miss out on payments they’re entitled to.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the LPG connection really free?
Yes. There’s no deposit for the connection itself. In most cases, your first refill and a stove are also provided free of charge, though this can vary slightly by state and distributor.
How many subsidized refills do I get in a year now?
As of the June 2026 revision, you get a subsidy on your first 4 refills in a financial year. Refills beyond that are charged at full market price.
Why hasn’t my subsidy arrived even though I bought a refill?
The most common reasons are incomplete e-KYC or your bank account not being properly linked to your Aadhaar through the NPCI DBT mapper. Check both, and visit your distributor for re-verification if needed.
I don’t have a BPL card. Can I still apply?
Yes, in many cases. You may qualify under other categories such as SC/ST, AAY, PMAY-G, or SECC data, or through a 14-point self-declaration accepted by most distributors.
Can a migrant worker apply without local address proof?
Yes. Migrant households without a ration card from their current location can apply using a self-declaration affidavit.
Can I get a second Ujjwala connection if my household already has one?
No. This scheme is specifically meant for households without an existing LPG connection.
What if a distributor asks me to pay extra for the connection?
Don’t pay it. Call the toll-free helpline at 1800-266-6696, or the emergency LPG helpline at 1906, to report this.
Is e-KYC a one-time process?
Generally yes, but if your details change, or if your bank flags a mismatch, you may be asked to redo it. Always keep your Aadhaar-linked mobile number active for OTP verification.
How long does it take to get connected after applying?
This varies by distributor and location, but most connections are set up within a few weeks once your application and documents are verified.
Can I switch my subsidy-linked bank account later?
Yes, but you’ll need to update your Aadhaar-DBT linkage with your new bank to keep receiving subsidy payments without interruption.
Related Schemes
- Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana — a savings account for a girl child’s education and marriage
- PM Jan Dhan Yojana — zero-balance bank accounts with insurance and overdraft
- Browse all scheme guides
Last verified: July 2026. Information compiled from the official PMUY portal (pmuy.gov.in), Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas updates, and the June 2026 Cabinet decision on refill subsidy limits. This is independent informational content, not affiliated with the Government of India. Subsidy amounts, the number of subsidized refills, and eligibility categories are revised periodically — always confirm the current terms on pmuy.gov.in or with your local distributor before planning around a specific figure.