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Net metering and net billing in Pakistan
How selling rooftop solar power to the grid works since NEPRA’s 2026 rules, what it means for the size of your system, and how to apply. Rules last checked 19 Oct 2026.
The short answer
Since 9 February 2026, new rooftop solar connections fall under the NEPRA (Prosumer) Regulations, 2026, which use net billing instead of unit-for-unit net metering. Units you export are bought at a buy-back rate that is much lower than the price you pay for units you import. So a new system pays for itself mainly through the power you use yourself during the day, not through exports.
If you already have a net-metering agreement, NEPRA proposed in February 2026 that you keep your old terms until the agreement expires. Check the expiry date on your agreement and confirm your terms with your electricity distribution company (DISCO).
This page explains the rules in plain words; it is not legal advice. Rates, fees and procedures change by notification, so your DISCO and NEPRA’s published regulations are the final word.
Net metering vs net billing
| Net metering (2015 rules) | Net billing (2026 rules) | |
|---|---|---|
| Exported units | Set off one-for-one against imported units | Bought by the DISCO at a regulated buy-back rate |
| Imported units | Net units billed at your tariff | All imported units billed at your normal tariff |
| Who is on it | Agreements made before 9 Feb 2026, until they expire | New connections from 9 Feb 2026, and renewals |
| Agreement term | Seven years | Five years, renewable |
| Best way to benefit | Export as much as possible | Use as much of your own solar power as possible |
What net billing means for your system size
Under net metering, a bigger system that covered your whole monthly bill made sense, because every exported unit cancelled an imported one. Under net billing, surplus exports earn much less than imported units cost, so oversizing pays back slowly.
- Size for daytime use. Look at what runs while the sun is up (air conditioners, pumps, office or shop load) and size the system for that.
- Shift load into the day. Run washing machines, water pumps and ironing in daylight hours.
- Consider a battery carefully. A battery stores daytime surplus for the evening instead of exporting it cheaply, but it adds a large cost. Compare quotes with and without one.
- Know your limits. New systems are capped at your sanctioned load, and a DISCO can refuse new applications on a transformer that already carries a lot of solar.
The solar size calculator sizes a system to offset your monthly units. Under net billing, treat that as an upper limit and ask installers for a design matched to your daytime use.
How to apply
Your installer usually prepares and submits the application for you. The steps below are the usual sequence; your DISCO’s own page and forms are the final word.
- Choose an AEDB-certified installer. Grid-connected rooftop systems must be installed by an installer certified under the AEDB (Certification) Regulations, 2021. Check the certificate on their ProChuno profile and confirm it with PPIB.
- Check your sanctioned load and transformer. Ask the DISCO whether your sanctioned load allows the system size you want and whether your transformer is still open to new solar connections.
- Submit the application to your DISCO. It is commonly asked to include the application form, a copy of your CNIC, a recent paid electricity bill, the installer’s certificate, equipment datasheets and a wiring diagram.
- Pay the fees. A processing fee per kW was reported in April 2026 (see the timeline below), and the consumer pays for the meter and any connection work. Ask the installer which fees are already in the quote.
- Inspection and meter. After technical review, the DISCO inspects the system and installs a bidirectional (two-way) meter.
- Sign the agreement. Keep a copy with its start and expiry dates; your terms depend on them.
Official pages: LESCO net metering (Lahore) · K-Electric net metering (Karachi) · for other cities, your DISCO’s website or customer service centre.
If you already have net metering
- Find the start and expiry dates on your net-metering agreement.
- Check how your bill shows exported and imported units, and raise any change in billing with your DISCO in writing.
- Before adding panels, replacing the inverter or changing your sanctioned load, ask the DISCO whether the change moves you to the new rules.
Questions to ask your installer
- Is the system sized for my daytime use or for my whole monthly bill, and why?
- Who prepares and submits the net-billing application, and which fees are included in the quote?
- Does my sanctioned load allow this size, and has anyone checked my transformer?
- How long did recent applications take with my DISCO?
- What happens to my payback if the buy-back rate changes?
Compare the answers with the guide to choosing a solar installer, the quote comparison worksheet and current solar prices.
What changed in 2026
Reported changes, newest last, with the original report. Figures are as reported on that date and may since have changed.
- · NEPRA notified the Prosumer Regulations, 2026, replacing the 2015 net-metering rules. New prosumers move to net billing on five-year agreements; exported units are bought at the national average energy purchase price (reported as about Rs 10–11 per unit, against about Rs 26 under old contracts), while imported units are billed at the normal tariff. New systems are capped at the sanctioned load, and DISCOs stop accepting applications once a transformer reaches 80% of its capacity. Dawn
- · After public criticism, NEPRA published a draft amendment so that consumers with a valid net-metering agreement keep the old rate and billing mechanism until that agreement expires, deemed effective from 9 February 2026. Business Recorder
- · NEPRA introduced a processing fee of Rs 1,000 per kW for new applications and required its concurrence for systems of every size. Profit
- · NEPRA amended the rules so that systems up to 25 kW no longer need its prior approval; the local distribution company (DISCO) approves them. Minute Mirror
Sources
- NEPRA legal and regulatory documents, where NEPRA publishes its regulations and amendments.
- NEPRA draft amendment to the Prosumer Regulations, 2026 on existing net-metering agreements.
- News reports linked in the timeline above.
ProChuno is an independent directory, not a legal adviser, and does not apply for net billing on anyone’s behalf.