Net Metering in Pakistan: 2026 Rules, Approval and Billing

Official amendments checked 23 October 2026 · Independent explanation and application-planning guide

Net metering and net billing: understand the distinction

Net metering is commonly used to describe an arrangement for recording electricity imported from the grid and exported by a small generator. How those quantities become credits or charges depends on the applicable rules and agreement. A bidirectional meter records energy flow; it does not itself set the tariff.

Net billing generally values imported and exported electricity separately. Do not assume an exported unit cancels an imported unit at the same rupee value. Keep the connection’s applicable arrangement, import tariff, export value and other bill charges separate when discussing expected savings.

Verified 2026 changes: approval, concurrence and fees

NEPRA’s amendment dated 6 August 2026 says a distributed-generation facility of 25kW or below does not require concurrence from the Authority; the concerned licensee accords approval. This is not a blanket exemption from utility approval or technical requirements. Check the current official procedure for your proposed connection.

The fee notification dated 28 April 2026 lists nil concurrence fee for facilities of 25kW or less and Rs. 1,000 per kW as a one-time NEPRA fee above 25kW, effective from 9 February 2026. That specific fee is not the total installed cost, meter price or an installer’s service charge.

Existing agreements need a separate check

NEPRA’s 2 April 2026 amendment addresses approvals and agreements executed before commencement of the 2026 regulations. It preserves their specified billing treatment through the existing agreement’s expiry, subject to the provision on material modification of maximum electrical output. Read the amendment and your actual agreement together.

Do not assume that a new applicant, an existing agreement holder and someone enlarging a system have identical treatment. Before changing equipment or capacity, ask the licensee how the proposed modification affects approval and billing. Keep the answer, revised design and existing agreement in the same project file.

What actually happens to surplus electricity?

When generation exceeds the property’s immediate demand, energy may be exported according to the system design and permitted connection arrangement. The meter records relevant flows. The grid does not physically store your particular solar units for use that night; later imports are electricity supplied through the network.

For a hypothetical day, a system produces 18kWh, the household uses 11kWh directly and 7kWh remains for export or another permitted use. Night-time imports are counted separately. The eventual monetary credit depends on the applicable billing arrangement. A daily generation total alone cannot establish the bill saving.

How to prepare for a new connection enquiry

Identify the electricity company responsible for your bill and request its current application route. Explain whether the proposal is a new installation or a change to an existing one. State the panel DC capacity, inverter AC rating, connection phase and intended export operation. These are more useful than the informal name of a solar package.

Ask for the current checklist and official fee instructions. Prepare a clear equipment schedule, model datasheets and a system diagram from the qualified designer. Organise applicant and property records according to the official request. The preparation described here is not a universal mandatory-document list for every connection.

Application, inspection and permission to operate

Ask the utility and installer to explain the stages applying to your project and who is responsible for each submission. Acknowledgement of an application does not mean approval, and delivery of a meter or inverter does not by itself establish permission to operate. Keep the actual reference numbers and dated written responses.

Avoid relying on old articles promising identical processing days for every project. Network assessment, incomplete paperwork and changes to design can affect progress. If a case is delayed, ask which specific requirement remains outstanding and how to correct it. Use the official process for follow-up and complaints rather than informal intermediaries.

Green meter price: compare an itemised scope

“Green meter” is a colloquial label, not a separate guarantee of a tariff or approval. Ask for the specification required by your utility and a written breakdown of equipment, installation, connection work and applicable charges. A number quoted for hardware alone cannot be compared fairly with a complete service package.

This page removes the earlier unsupported universal meter-price and application-fee tables. Request a current dated estimate for your own connection. Separate government or utility charges from an installer’s administrative fee and retain official payment receipts. Do not assume that a nil NEPRA fee makes the whole project free.

Work out savings without assuming a zero bill

Use your current electricity bills and daytime demand to estimate direct solar use, exports and remaining imports. Ask the installer to state production and tariff assumptions separately. Fixed charges, taxes and adjustments can remain relevant, so an installation should not be sold solely on a promise that every future bill will disappear.

Try a less favourable scenario with lower production or self-consumption. Compare the equipment budget, maintenance and any financing commitment with the resulting savings range. This sensitivity check is a planning exercise rather than a tariff forecast or personal financial recommendation. Update the estimate when the specification or applicable arrangement changes.

Does net metering provide power during load shedding?

An export arrangement and backup capability answer different questions. A conventional grid-connected installation should not be assumed to supply the home through a grid outage. Ask the designer to explain the proposed inverter’s operating modes, isolation and any essential circuits supported during a power cut.

Battery backup needs its own energy and power assessment. List the appliances that must run and the hours required. Check usable battery energy, discharge power, reserve and inverter compatibility. The array’s 5kW, 10kW or 20kW name alone cannot tell you night-time runtime or whether a particular appliance can start.

What to check at installation handover

Match installed panel and inverter model codes and quantities to the contracted and approved equipment schedule. Keep the commissioning record, warranty papers, serial numbers and operator instructions. Ask for a demonstration of normal monitoring and the correct fault-reporting route. Qualified personnel should manage electrical tests and settings.

Retain the signed connection agreement and any approval with the equipment file. Record how billing and monitoring periods are compared. Do not open the meter, inverter enclosure or live connectors to investigate a discrepancy. Refer electrical or metering concerns to the appropriate authorised provider.

How to query a missing credit or an unexpected bill

Check that the bill and app report cover the same period and that you are comparing exports with exports, rather than total solar generation. Keep the bill reference, dated readings where safely available and relevant monitoring records. A monitoring-data gap should be distinguished from an actual production outage.

Ask the utility to identify the applicable tariff, credited quantity and calculation. If the response is unclear, request a written explanation tied to the bill. Keep personal account records private when discussing an issue publicly. A general internet calculation cannot determine the correct charge for an individual connection.

Official sources and related guides

Read the NEPRA legal archive, including amendments dated 2 April, 28 April and 6 August 2026. Confirm the rules applying to your agreement with the electricity company before purchasing or changing equipment.

Continue with NEPRA solar approval checks, solar tariff and bill calculations, on-grid vs off-grid systems and battery capacity and backup planning.