How much of a CNC machine's saving in a BEE report is electricity?
Little. In three Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) reports for Bangalore machine tool units, electricity is about 4% of the saving for a five-axis computer numerical control (CNC) machine, 6% for a CNC laser cutter and 14% for a CNC bending machine. Scrap, labour and utility costs make up the rest.
How each report splits its saving per tonne
- Five-axis computer numerical control (CNC) machine: Rs 38,087.50 a tonne saved. Electricity Rs 1,630 (7,665 down to 6,035), rejected material Rs 24,580 (57,083 down to 32,503), labour and utility Rs 11,877.50 (27,671 down to 15,793.50).
- CNC laser cutter: Rs 43,655 a tonne saved. Electricity Rs 2,655 (22,380 down to 19,725) and material Rs 1,25,000 (5,00,000 down to 3,75,000), less Rs 84,000 more in labour and utility (2,50,000 up to 3,34,000).
- CNC bending machine: about Rs 11,415 a tonne saved. Electricity Rs 1,558 (4,875 down to 3,316.65), rejected material Rs 5,385 (13,500 down to 8,115), labour and utility Rs 4,471 (10,000 down to 5,528.60).
Why it matters for a loan or a carbon claim
A lender who reads "energy saving project" will find that most of the rupee saving is scrap and labour. Only the electricity part cuts your own Scope 2 emissions, and it shows up as kilowatt hours (kWh) on your bills. Quote the kWh from your bills, not the rupee total.
One slip to watch in the laser report: its table labels the material line as rupees a year, yet adds it into a per tonne total. Ask the supplier for the working before you rely on it.
A fourth report, a different cost
The wire cut report reaches the same Rs 26.07 lakh benefit as the bending report, from different parts, at a cost of Rs 61.00 lakh against 36.35: payback 2.34 years against 1.39, and 78,061 kWh against the bending machine's 71,178 implied. That suggests these are planning estimates for a typical unit, not measurements of your machine. A lender will want your own meter readings and scrap records.
Electricity share of the saving per tonne
- Five-axis: 1,630 / 38,087.50 = 4.3%
- Laser: 2,655 / 43,655 = 6.1%
- Bending: 1,558.35 / 11,414.75 = 13.7%
Figures from the three Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) reports, which use about 2010 prices and an electricity cost of Rs 5 a kWh.
What Senseible does here
Senseible reads electricity bills into monthly kilowatt hours (kWh) and carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) at the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) factor for the bill's financial year. A bill shows the site's electricity, not one machine's, so a new machine appears as a change in the site total. Scrap and labour savings stay in your accounts. The green loan check shows what a lender asks for.
- Green loan readiness check
- Machine tool units: where the power saving is
- CNC turret punch: kWh saved
- CNC lathes replacing conventional lathes
- What 1.75 times output does to a CNC saving
Sources: BEE, Detailed project report: installation of a 5-axis CNC machine, Bangalore machine tool cluster (SAMEEEKSHA), BEE, Detailed project report: CNC laser cutting machine, Bangalore machine tool cluster (SAMEEEKSHA), BEE, Detailed project report: CNC bending machine, Bangalore machine tool cluster (SAMEEEKSHA), BEE, Detailed project report: CNC wire cut machine, Bangalore machine tool cluster (SAMEEEKSHA)
Last reviewed 2026-11-04. Report figures are from a Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) programme project report; costs and paybacks are at the report year's prices. Check today's prices and a current quote before you rely on the payback.