• By Best Solar Company PK
  • 11 Oct, 2026
  • Solar Policy
  • 8 min read

If you have been waiting to go solar, the single most important number on your mind is the **NEPRA buyback rate** — the price the grid pays you for surplus units your rooftop exports. In February 2026 that rate was slashed to just **Rs8.13 per unit** for new solar users under the NEPRA (Prosumer) Regulations, 2026. Now Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has stepped in and ordered NEPRA and the Power Division to re-verify it. For anyone deciding whether to install now or wait, this review changes the maths.

What actually changed in February 2026

With effect from **9 February 2026**, NEPRA replaced the old one-to-one *net metering* system with a *net billing* model for all new rooftop solar connections.

Under the old net metering regime, an exported unit cancelled out an imported unit — effectively valuing your surplus at the full consumer tariff of around **Rs25–27 per unit**. Under net billing, that link is broken:

  • Every unit you **import** from the grid is billed at the normal slab-based consumer tariff (plus taxes and surcharges).
  • Every surplus unit you **export** is bought back at a separate, much lower rate — set at **Rs8.13 per unit** for new prosumers.

Crucially, existing users were protected. An amendment issued on **16 February 2026** exempted anyone who signed a net metering agreement **before 9 February 2026**, letting them keep their old ~Rs25.32/unit rate until their agreement expires. The cut only bites new applicants.

Why the PM intervened

The Rs8.13 figure triggered sharp criticism from solar associations, industry bodies and consumers who argued it would kill rooftop adoption just as Pakistan was becoming a global leader in solar imports.

In response, PM Shehbaz Sharif directed the Power Division and NEPRA to **review and re-verify the buyback tariff** and assess its wider system-wide impact before pushing reforms further. Business Recorder reported the directive as the PM instructing NEPRA and the Power Division to amend the net metering rules.

A regulator does not re-verify a rate it intends to cut further. A review ordered from the Prime Minister's office almost always signals pressure for an **upward** revision — the only open question is by how much.

Several working figures have surfaced in the debate — including a buyback pegged to the National Average Energy Purchase Price (roughly **Rs11–13 per unit**) rather than the harsher Rs8.13. Nothing is final until NEPRA publishes its determination, so treat every number as provisional.

Install now or wait? The honest answer

Here is the practical tension. If you wait and the rate is revised upward, your future exports earn more. But while you wait, you keep paying full grid tariffs of **Rs50–65+ per unit** every single month — and export income is only a slice of solar's value anyway.

Let's compare the two realistic scenarios for a typical **10kW** home system.

| Factor | Install Now (net billing, Rs8.13) | Wait for Revised Rate (~Rs11–13) | |---|---|---| | System cost (10kW hybrid) | Rs1.1–1.8 million | Likely similar or rising | | Monthly bill savings | Rs50,000–90,000 | Rs50,000–90,000 | | Export income on surplus | Lower | Moderately higher | | Estimated payback | ~3.5–5 years | ~3–4.5 years | | Months of full bills paid while waiting | 0 | 3–12+ |

The decisive insight most buyers miss: **the biggest saving comes from self-consumption, not export.** Every unit your panels feed directly into your home or business offsets a Rs50–65 grid unit — that value is completely unaffected by the buyback rate. The buyback only applies to the *surplus* you could not use yourself, which for a well-sized system is a minority of total generation.

A practical tip: size for self-use, not for export

The old net metering era rewarded over-sizing your system to bank huge surpluses. Net billing flips that logic. Our installation experience across Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad shows the smartest 2026 move is to:

  • **Right-size the array** to match your daytime load so most units are self-consumed.
  • **Shift heavy loads** (AC, pumps, washing, EV charging) to daylight hours.
  • **Add storage selectively** — batteries let you store cheap solar for evening use instead of exporting it for a low buyback, though they add cost and lengthen payback.

Done this way, your return barely depends on whether the buyback lands at Rs8.13 or Rs13.

What a likely upward revision means for you

If NEPRA nudges the buyback rate up after the PM's review, three things follow:

  • **New installers win modestly.** Any revision would apply going forward, improving export income without you having to delay.
  • **Payback shortens slightly** — perhaps shaving six months to a year off a 10kW system's return.
  • **Rules may still tighten elsewhere.** Reviews can pair a higher buyback with capacity caps, fixed charges or gross-metering clauses, so a better headline rate is not guaranteed to be better overall.

For most households, waiting months to capture a one-or-two-rupee bump while paying full grid bills is a net loss. For large commercial exporters whose economics lean heavily on surplus sales, watching the final determination before committing can make sense. For more context, see our breakdown of the NEPRA net billing rules for 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

**What is the current NEPRA buyback rate in 2026?** For new solar users under net billing, NEPRA set the buyback rate at Rs8.13 per unit from 9 February 2026. Existing net metering users keep their older rate of around Rs25.32 per unit until their agreement expires. The Rs8.13 figure is now under review on the Prime Minister's orders.

**Will the NEPRA buyback rate increase after the review?** A government-ordered re-verification strongly suggests pressure for an upward revision, with figures around Rs11–13 per unit discussed. However, nothing is official until NEPRA publishes its final determination, so no increase is guaranteed.

**Should I install solar now or wait for the new rate?** For most homes, install now. The largest savings come from self-consuming your own power against Rs50–65 grid tariffs — value the buyback rate does not touch. Waiting mainly costs you more full-price grid bills.

**Does the lower buyback rate affect existing solar users?** No. Prosumers who signed their net metering agreement before 9 February 2026 are grandfathered at their original rate until expiry, thanks to the February amendment.

The bottom line

The **NEPRA buyback rate** review is genuinely good news — it signals the Rs8.13 cut may soften. But do not let it freeze your decision. With grid tariffs above Rs50 per unit and 10kW systems paying back in roughly 3.5–5 years, the strongest returns in 2026 come from installing a right-sized system and consuming your own power. Want a tailored estimate for your rooftop? Request a free solar quote and we'll size a system around your actual load — not around a buyback rate that is still being decided. ```

**Sources I verified this against:**

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.