NAEPP Rs11/Unit: How Pakistan's New Export Rate Cuts Your Solar Value

• By Best Solar Company PK
• 15 Oct, 2026
• Net Metering
• 8 min read

If you installed rooftop solar in Pakistan to beat rising electricity bills, 2026 changed the maths. The **National Average Energy Purchase Price (NAEPP)** is now the benchmark that decides what your exported solar units earn — and at roughly **Rs11 per unit**, it sits far below the Rs35–55 you still pay to import from the grid. For new installations, this single number quietly erases a large slice of rooftop solar value.

This guide explains what the NAEPP solar export rate means, why NEPRA set it so low, and the real financial hit for Pakistani homeowners and businesses switching on solar in 2026.

What is the NAEPP and where did it come from?

On **9 February 2026, NEPRA notified the Prosumer Regulations, 2026** (SRO 251(I)/2026), replacing the 2015 net-metering framework with a **net billing** system. Under the old rules, one unit you exported offset one unit you imported — a near one-to-one swap at your retail tariff. Under net billing, imports and exports are priced separately.

Your exports are now bought at the **National Average Energy Purchase Price (NAEPP)**, which replaced the older National Average Power Purchase Price (NAPPP) as the compensation benchmark. The distinction matters: the NAEPP reflects only the *energy* component of what distribution companies (DISCOs) pay to procure power — not capacity payments, transmission, or distribution margins. That is deliberately a wholesale-style number, which is why it lands around **Rs10–11 per unit**.

For a deeper walkthrough of the regulation itself, see our explainer on the NEPRA net billing rules for 2026.

Why the export rate sits so far below the import tariff

The gap is not an accident — it reflects how Pakistan's power sector is costed:

• **Imports are a retail price.** When you draw from the grid, you pay the full consumer tariff: generation, capacity charges, transmission and distribution losses, DISCO margins, plus taxes and surcharges. That stacks up to **Rs35–55 per unit** (base slabs run roughly Rs22–47 before taxes).
• **Exports are now a wholesale price.** The NAEPP only values the raw energy a DISCO avoids buying from power plants when you push a unit onto the grid. It excludes everything else in the retail stack.

NEPRA's stated logic is that rooftop prosumers were being over-compensated under one-to-one net metering, shifting costs onto non-solar consumers. The regulator argues the NAEPP reflects the "true" avoided cost of your exported energy. Whether you accept that or not, the practical result is the same: **the unit you export is worth a fraction of the unit you import.**

The real value cut: why rooftop solar loses ~44–49%

Here is where households get confused. Solar still saves you money — but only on the electricity you *use yourself in real time*. Every unit your panels generate falls into one of two buckets:

1. **Self-consumed units** — used instantly by your fans, AC, or machinery. These still save you the full **Rs35–55** import tariff. That value is unchanged. 2. **Exported units** — surplus sent to the grid when you generate more than you use (typically midday). These used to offset imports at ~Rs35–55; now they earn only the **NAEPP of ~Rs11**.

The hit lands entirely on the exported bucket. A typical Pakistani rooftop exports roughly **40–55% of its annual generation**, because peak solar output (noon) rarely matches peak household demand (evening). When that exported half drops from retail value to Rs11, the **blended value of your whole solar system falls by about 44–49%** compared with the old net-metering regime.

| Factor | Old net metering | New net billing (2026) | |---|---|---| | Export compensation | ~Retail tariff (Rs35–55) | NAEPP ~Rs11/unit | | Import charge | Full tariff | Full tariff (Rs35–55) | | Settlement | 1-for-1 unit swap | Separate pricing | | Agreement term | 7 years | 5 years | | Typical 5kW payback | Under 3 years | ~4.7 years |

The lesson: under net billing, **self-consumption is king**. The more solar you use live, the less the Rs11 export rate hurts.

What this means for new solar buyers in Pakistan

If you are sizing a system in 2026, the old "go big and bank the surplus" strategy no longer pays. Practical, first-hand advice from installations we've commissioned this year:

• **Right-size, don't oversize.** A system that matches your daytime load beats an oversized one dumping cheap units to the grid at Rs11.
• **Shift loads to daylight.** Run the washing machine, water pump, and pool/booster motors at midday to self-consume more.
• **Consider a battery only if the numbers work.** Storing midday surplus to use at night avoids the Rs11-vs-Rs55 gap — but batteries add cost, so model the payback before committing.
• **Lock in before your category changes.** Agreements approved under the old rules keep their original terms until expiry, so timing matters.

Businesses with strong daytime demand — offices, factories, retail running on AC and machinery from 9 to 5 — are the clear winners, because they self-consume almost everything they generate.

Are existing net-metering users affected?

No — not immediately. Approvals, licences, and agreements executed **before 9 February 2026** remain valid. Existing prosumers keep the **old one-to-one offset and old buyback rate until their agreement expires**. The NAEPP export rate applies to **new** applications and, eventually, to renewals. If you are already connected, check your agreement's expiry date so you know when the clock runs out.

For a side-by-side of the two regimes, our net metering vs net billing comparison breaks down the settlement differences.

Is rooftop solar still worth it in 2026?

Yes — just for different reasons. Even with the NAEPP cut, solar still shields you from the **most expensive** units you buy: the top-slab, tax-laden retail tariff. A right-sized system with high self-consumption still delivers a payback of roughly **4.7 years** on a 5kW setup, after which you enjoy years of near-free daytime power. The era of treating the grid as a free battery is over; the era of using your own sunshine smartly has begun.

Thinking about an installation tuned for the new rules? Our team can model your self-consumption profile — reach out via our solar system sizing guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

**What is the NAEPP solar export rate in Pakistan right now?**

The National Average Energy Purchase Price is the benchmark NEPRA uses to pay prosumers for exported solar units under the 2026 net billing regime. As of the latest notifications it sits at roughly **Rs10–11 per unit**, well below the retail import tariff.

**Why is my solar export only worth Rs11 when I pay Rs35–55 to import?**

Because they are two different prices. The NAEPP reflects only the wholesale *energy* cost a DISCO avoids when you export, while your import tariff includes capacity, transmission, distribution, losses, and taxes. The gap is the core feature of net billing.

**How much does net billing reduce rooftop solar savings?**

The hit lands on exported units only. Since a typical home exports 40–55% of its generation, the blended value of a rooftop system falls by about **44–49%** versus old net metering. Self-consumed units still save the full tariff.

**Will the NAEPP rate change over time?**

Yes. The NAEPP is a periodically updated benchmark tied to national power-procurement costs, so it can move up or down with NEPRA's determinations. It is not fixed for the life of your agreement under net billing.

**Does the Rs11 rate apply to my existing net-metering agreement?**

No. Agreements signed before 9 February 2026 keep the old one-to-one offset until they expire. The NAEPP export rate applies to new connections and renewals.

The bottom line

The NAEPP has rewritten the economics of Pakistani rooftop solar. At ~Rs11 per exported unit against Rs35–55 for imports, the grid is no longer a generous bank — and new systems lose roughly **44–49% of their old value on the export side**. But solar still beats the brutal top-slab tariff on every unit you use yourself. Size for self-consumption, shift loads into daylight, and solar remains one of the smartest hedges a Pakistani household or business can make in 2026. **Get a free, net-billing-aware quote today and let us model your real payback before you buy.**

*Sources: NEPRA Prosumer Regulations 2026 coverage — Express Tribune; From net metering to net billing — ScienceDirect.*

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.