• By Best Solar Company PK
  • 03 Aug, 2026
  • Energy Savings
  • 7 min read

If you installed rooftop solar after 9 February 2026, your **net-billing bill** looks nothing like the old net-metering statement your neighbour still receives. Under NEPRA's Prosumer Regulations 2026, the friendly one-for-one unit swap is gone. Now your DISCO buys every exported unit at a flat **Rs 11 export credit** and sells you every imported unit at the full retail tariff. That mismatch — plus taxes the credit never touches — is exactly where money quietly leaks. This guide shows you how to read your net-billing bill line by line, verify the export credit, and catch DISCO billing errors before you pay.

What changed: net metering became net billing in 2026

Under the old net-metering model, one exported unit cancelled one imported unit — an effective value of roughly Rs 22–27 per unit. NEPRA's shift to **net billing** breaks that link.

  • **Import units** are billed at your normal slab tariff (often Rs 45–65 per unit once adjustments and tax are added).
  • **Export units** are bought back at the National Average Energy Purchase Price — about **Rs 11 per unit** in 2026.

That is roughly a 5:1 gap. Existing prosumers with a valid agreement dated before 9 February 2026 are protected on the old 1:1 terms until their contract expires, so this guide matters most for new solar owners. For the wider comparison, see our breakdown of net metering vs net billing in Pakistan.

Net billing does not "cancel" your import units with export units. It pays you a small cash credit for exports, then bills your full import separately. They are two different columns — not a swap.

Import units vs the Rs 11 export credit — the heart of your net-billing bill

Your bidirectional meter records two numbers each month: **units imported** (drawn from the grid at night and on cloudy days) and **units exported** (surplus solar sent back). On a net-billing bill these appear as separate lines.

Do the maths yourself. Say your meter shows 400 imported units and 300 exported units for the month:

  • Import charge: 400 units × your slab rate — the energy component alone might be ~Rs 18,000 before adjustments and tax.
  • Export credit: 300 units × Rs 11 = **Rs 3,300**.

Notice what does *not* happen: those 300 exported units do **not** erase 300 import units. You are billed for the full 400 imported units and separately handed a Rs 3,300 credit. This is the single biggest surprise for new prosumers — and the first thing to verify on your net-billing bill.

Which charges the Rs 11 export credit does NOT offset

Here is the part most people miss. The export credit is a rupee amount subtracted near the bottom of the bill. It has no power over the fixed charges, adjustments, and taxes stacked on your imported units. Those are calculated on your **gross import**, so they stand regardless of how much you export.

| Bill line item | Applied to | Offset by your Rs 11 export credit? | |---|---|---| | Energy cost (slab rate × import units) | Imported units | Only as a flat Rs 11/unit cash credit — not 1:1 | | Fuel Price Adjustment (FPA/FCA) | Imported units | ❌ No | | Quarterly Tariff Adjustment (QTA) | Imported units | ❌ No | | Fixed charges (per sanctioned kW) | Connection load | ❌ No | | GST (17%) | Energy + FPA | ❌ No | | Electricity duty, TV fee, income tax | Bill total | ❌ No |

So even in a month where you export as many units as you import, you will still owe fixed charges (from Rs 200–500 for homes, up to Rs 1,250/kW for commercial connections), the FPA (which swings from about −Rs 3 to +Rs 8 per unit), the QTA, and 17% GST on the energy and fuel components. Budget for these — they are the "non-offsettable" core of every net-billing bill.

How to read your net-billing bill line by line

Work top to bottom with a calculator or our electricity bill savings guide open beside you:

1. **Meter readings.** Confirm present and previous readings for both import and export. Multiply by the meter multiplier (MF), usually 1. 2. **Units imported.** Check this matches (present − previous) import reading. An estimated "average" reading is a red flag. 3. **Units exported.** Confirm your inverter's monthly export log roughly matches the exported units billed. 4. **Slab applied.** Verify you're on the correct protected slab; a wrong slab inflates your per-unit rate sharply. 5. **FPA, QTA, fixed charges, GST.** Recompute each on the imported units and energy value. 6. **Export credit.** Confirm exported units × Rs 11 appears as a deduction — and that any leftover credit is carried forward, not lost.

How to catch DISCO billing errors

Even with smart meters, errors slip through. The most common DISCO billing errors on net-billing accounts are:

  • **Export units missing or under-counted.** Compare the bill's export figure with your inverter app. A shortfall of dozens of units means real money at Rs 11 each.
  • **Export credit applied at the wrong rate** — e.g. Rs 9 instead of Rs 11, or the credit omitted entirely.
  • **Estimated (not actual) meter reads.** Look for a "Detected/Assessed" or average flag; insist on an actual reading.
  • **Wrong slab or lost protected-slab benefit**, which quietly raises your import rate.
  • **GST or FPA charged on the gross figure instead of the correct base.**
  • **Carried-forward credit dropped** between months.

If a number is off, take a clear photo of the bill and meter, log a complaint with your DISCO (LESCO, IESCO, MEPCO, K-Electric, etc.), and if unresolved, escalate to <a href="https://www.nepra.org.pk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NEPRA's Consumer Affairs Division</a>. Keep three months of inverter export logs — they are your strongest evidence.

Frequently Asked Questions

**How is the Rs 11 export credit calculated on my net-billing bill?**

Your DISCO multiplies the units you exported by the National Average Energy Purchase Price — about Rs 11 per unit in 2026 — and shows it as a cash deduction. It is not a unit-for-unit swap against your imports.

**Why is my bill still high even though I export a lot of solar?**

Because fixed charges, FPA, QTA and 17% GST are charged on your imported units and connection load. The export credit cannot offset those, so they remain on every net-billing bill.

**Can I still get net metering instead of net billing in Pakistan?**

New connections after 9 February 2026 fall under net billing. Prosumers with valid agreements before that date keep the old 1:1 net-metering terms until their contract expires.

**What do I do if my exported units look wrong?**

Match the bill against your inverter's export log, photograph the meter, and file a complaint with your DISCO. If it isn't fixed, escalate to NEPRA with your records.

The bottom line

Reading your **net-billing bill** carefully is now a monthly saving habit, not a chore. Remember the two rules: import units are billed at full tariff, and the Rs 11 export credit is a small cash rebate that never offsets fixed charges or taxes. Check your meter reads, recompute the adjustments, verify the export credit, and challenge anything that doesn't add up. Want us to audit your first net-billing bill or right-size a system for the new rules? Contact Best Solar Company PK for a free bill review today.

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Sources used to verify the facts above:

Best Solar Company PK designs and installs reliable solar systems in Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Lahore, Multan, Taunsa Sharif and Karachi. Contact us for a free survey and the best advice for your home or business.