Net metering in Pakistan: new rules, approved inverters and how to apply

Is solar still worth it?

For a house using 800 units a month, a 6 kW system generating ~750 units in summer: if 60% is used directly you save roughly 450 × Rs 45 = Rs 20,250 on import plus 300 × Rs 11 = Rs 3,300 in export credit, about Rs 23,550 a month, a payback of 3–4 years on a Rs 900,000 system. The same system exporting 80% earns far less. Size to your daytime load and shift ACs, pumps and washing into daylight; a battery only makes sense for outages, not for export.

Model your own numbers in the Solar System Calculator: its export rate now defaults to the net-billing rate.

Eligibility

• Connection: Three-phase 400 V or 11 kV domestic, commercial, industrial, agricultural, general-services or bulk-supply consumer of a DISCO (reg. 2). Single-phase houses must upgrade first.
• Size: 1 kW to 1 MW (solar, wind or biogas). Installed capacity may not exceed the sanctioned load of the premises (reg. 3(2)).
• Transformer: the DISCO must refuse new applications once solar connected to your distribution transformer reaches 80% of its rating (reg. 3(5)). Ask your sub-division for the transformer’s loading before you buy.
• Large systems: 250 kW and above need a load-flow study by the DISCO or a PEC-registered consultant (reg. 3(3)).
• Installer: AEDB/PPIB-certified vendor; single-line diagram signed by a PEC-registered engineer.
• Equipment: grid-tied or hybrid inverter meeting UL 1741 / IEEE 1547-2003, panels to IEC 61215, a bi-directional meter supplied by the DISCO (reg. 5, 9).

How to apply: with the legal time limits

Working days each step is allowed under regulations 3 and 4. Add them up and the process should take about 66 working days (13 weeks) if nothing is returned.

1. 0Install with a certified vendor and collect: CNIC, latest bill, ownership proof, AEDB/PPIB certificate, inverter datasheet and anti-islanding certificate, panel datasheets, single-line diagram, site photos. Submit the Schedule II application to your DISCO.You-
2. 1DISCO acknowledges the application and confirms it is complete reg. 3(5)DISCO5 days
3. 2You supply any missing documents reg. 3(5)You3 days
4. 3Initial technical review (feasibility, transformer loading) reg. 3(6)DISCO15 days
5. 4Interconnection agreement signed reg. 3(8)Both7 days
6. 5Connection-charge estimate (bi-directional meter, interconnection works) issued reg. 3(9)DISCO7 days
7. 6You pay the estimate reg. 3(10)You7 days
8. 7Meter installed and interconnection commissioned reg. 3(11)DISCO15 days
9. 8NEPRA accords concurrence (fee Rs 1,000/kW, affidavit on Rs 50 stamp paper) reg. 4(3)NEPRA7 days

Billing under net billing starts once NEPRA accords concurrence. You must commission within 6 months of concurrence or apply afresh (reg. 4(4)), and any later change to the system’s technical parameters needs fresh concurrence (reg. 4(1)). If a DISCO misses a deadline, cite the regulation number in a written complaint to its net-metering cell and to NEPRA’s consumer affairs division.

Costs

Approved inverters for net metering

No DISCO publishes a standing model list. The net-metering desk checks the datasheet and the UL 1741 / IEC 62116 anti-islanding certificate your installer attaches, and the same NEPRA standard applies at every DISCO and K-Electric. Routine means the brand’s paperwork is accepted without query nationwide; with certificates means it is accepted when the test certificate is attached, ask the seller for it before buying.

Not eligible at any DISCO

• Off-grid inverters (Inverex Veyron/Yukon, Ziewnic X-Core, Crown Xavier, Knox Infini, Homage HVS and similar), no anti-islanding or export control
• Micro-inverters and inverters without a UL 1741 / IEC 62116 certificate
• Second-hand imported inverters with region-locked grid codes that cannot be set to Pakistan / IEEE 1547 parameters

Prices and specs for the eligible models are on the solar inverter comparison.

Net metering by DISCO

Where to apply, what the meter estimate usually comes to, and what is specific to each company. The regulations, standards and approved-inverter test are the same everywhere.

Already on net metering?

• Your licence and agreement under the 2015 regulations remain valid to expiry (reg. 21(2)).
• From the billing cycle after notification, exports are credited at the NAPPP (≈ Rs 25–26) instead of unit-for-unit, and settled monthly.
• Renewals after expiry are for 5 years on the NAEPP rate under the new regulations (reg. 21(3)).
• Adding panels or a larger inverter that raises maximum output is a modification: it needs fresh concurrence and moves you to the new terms. Replacing a failed inverter with the same rating does not.

Frequently asked questions

Is net metering still available in Pakistan in 2026?

Not in its old one-for-one form. NEPRA's Prosumer Regulations, notified in February 2026, replaced net metering with net billing: units you import are billed at your normal tariff, units you export are credited at the National Average Energy Purchase Price (about Rs 10–11). Existing agreements keep the higher NAPPP rate (about Rs 25–26) until they expire.

Which inverters are approved for net metering?

Any grid-tied or hybrid inverter with a UL 1741 / IEC 62116 anti-islanding certificate and IEEE 1547 grid parameters. Huawei, Sungrow, Solis, GoodWe, Growatt, SMA, Fronius and SolarEdge pass without query; Deye, Inverex Aerox/Nitrox, Ziewnic Xtreme, Fox ESS, Sofar, SolaX and Kstar pass when the certificate is attached. Off-grid units never qualify.

Do I need a three-phase connection?

Yes. The regulations define an applicant as a three-phase 400 V or 11 kV consumer. If your house is on single phase, apply to the DISCO for a three-phase upgrade first (a separate demand notice, usually Rs 25,000–60,000 including the meter).

How big a system can I install?

Up to your sanctioned load: a house with a 10 kW sanctioned load cannot net-meter a 15 kW system. Ask the DISCO to raise the sanctioned load first if you need more. The DISCO must also refuse if solar on your transformer has reached 80% of its rating.

How long does net metering take?

The regulations set working-day limits at every step: 5 days to acknowledge, 15 for technical review, 7 to sign the agreement, 7 to issue the meter estimate, 15 to install after you pay, and 7 for NEPRA’s concurrence: about 8–10 weeks if nothing bounces. In practice LESCO and IESCO take 1–3 months; meter shortages can add more.

What does net metering cost?

NEPRA’s concurrence fee of Rs 1,000 per kW (Rs 5,000 for a 5 kW system), the DISCO's connection-charge estimate for the bi-directional meter and interconnection (Rs 25,000–65,000 depending on the DISCO), an affidavit on Rs 50 stamp paper, and whatever your installer charges for processing (Rs 10,000–30,000).

Is solar still worth it under net billing?

Yes, if you use most of it yourself. Every unit you consume directly saves the full tariff (Rs 37–55). Only the exported surplus earns Rs 10–11, so size the system to your daytime load rather than your roof, and run heavy loads (ACs, pumps, washing) in daylight. The Solar System Calculator models both.

I already have net metering: what changes?

Your agreement and licence stand until they expire. Exports are credited at the NAPPP (about Rs 25–26) rather than one-for-one, credits are settled monthly rather than rolled over for three months, and if you increase the system's output you lose the old terms. On expiry you renew for five years on the new NAEPP rate.

Sources

• NEPRA (Prosumer) Regulations: text as published by NEPRA : National Electric Power Regulatory Authority, 10 Feb 2026
• Nepra pulls the plug on net-metering : Dawn, 11 Feb 2026
• NEPRA protects existing solar net metering users, restricts system expansion benefits : Profit by Pakistan Today, 3 Apr 2026