Rs 8.13 Per Unit: What NEPRA's 2026 Buyback Cut Really Means for Your Solar Payback

• By Best Solar Company PK
• 17 Jul, 2026
• Net Metering
• 8 min read

If you have been putting off going solar, the headlines from early 2026 probably made you pause. NEPRA has overhauled the rules, scrapped classic net metering for new applicants, and cut the rate the grid pays for your exported units to roughly **Rs 8.13 per unit** — down from around Rs 25–27. That is a cut of nearly two-thirds.

It sounds brutal. But the number on its own tells you almost nothing about whether solar is still worth it. What matters is *how* the new system works and *what share of your solar power you actually export* versus use yourself. Let's walk through it with real figures.

What Actually Changed in 2026

Under the **NEPRA (Prosumer) Regulations, 2026**, notified in February 2026, the decade-old net metering framework was replaced by **net billing** (a form of gross-style accounting). The key differences:

• **Export rate slashed.** New prosumers are paid the National Average Energy Purchase Price — around **Rs 8.13 to Rs 11 per unit** — for electricity sent to the grid, instead of the old one-for-one swap worth Rs 25+.
• **Imports billed at full tariff.** Every unit you draw from the grid is charged at the normal slab rate — roughly **Rs 37 to Rs 55 per unit** including the higher slabs, plus taxes and surcharges.
• **No more unit-for-unit exchange.** Your exported units and imported units are no longer treated as equal. They are valued separately and the net difference is billed.
• **Contract shortened** to 5 years for new consumers (was 7).
• **System size capped at 100%** of your sanctioned load (previously up to 150%).
• A distribution company must **stop new connections on a transformer once it hits 80%** of rated capacity.

Crucially, if you already had a valid net metering agreement dated **before 9 February 2026**, you are grandfathered — your old 1:1 rates hold until your original contract expires.

Why the Payback Math Isn't as Bad as It Looks

The old net metering model quietly encouraged oversizing. People installed big systems, banked huge daytime export credits at Rs 25+, and wiped out their night-time bills. That arbitrage is gone.

But here is what the panic misses: **most of a well-sized home system's output is consumed on-site, not exported.** Your fans, ACs, fridge, and pumps run hardest during the same sunny daytime hours your panels produce most. Every one of those units offsets a grid unit you would have bought at Rs 40–55.

Take a typical **10 kW system** in Lahore or Multan. It generates around **50–55 units a day**, roughly **1,500–1,650 units a month**. Suppose your household directly consumes 65% of that during the day and exports the remaining 35%:

• **Self-consumed:** ~1,000 units/month × Rs 45 saved = **Rs 45,000**
• **Exported:** ~550 units/month × Rs 8.13 = **Rs 4,470**
• **Total monthly benefit ≈ Rs 49,500**

Compare that to the old model where all 1,550 units were worth ~Rs 45 (Rs 69,750/month). Yes, the benefit dropped — but from Rs 69,750 to about Rs 49,500, a fall of roughly 29%, not 65%. The export-rate headline exaggerates the real-world hit because export was never your whole benefit.

The New Payback Numbers

A good-quality **10 kW on-grid system** in 2026 costs roughly **Rs 1,100,000 to Rs 1,400,000** installed. Using the Rs 49,500/month benefit above, that is **Rs 594,000 a year**, giving a payback of about **2 to 2.5 years** for a heavy-usage home. Even on a conservative estimate — lower self-consumption and a bigger export share — payback lands in the **3 to 4.5 year** range.

For context, the panels carry a **25–30 year performance warranty**. So after paying itself back in three-ish years, the system delivers two decades of near-free power. There is still no other investment in Pakistan offering that return with that little risk. See our full breakdown of solar system prices in Pakistan for current PKR figures by size.

How to Win Under Net Billing

The rules reward a smarter, right-sized approach:

• **Size to your load, not to the sky.** Match the system to your actual daytime consumption. A slightly smaller, fully self-consumed system now beats an oversized one dumping cheap units to the grid.
• **Shift heavy loads to daytime.** Run the washing machine, iron, water pump, and pool/booster motors between 10 am and 4 pm. Pre-cool the house before sunset.
• **Consider a hybrid system with battery.** A LiFePO4 battery (adding roughly Rs 300,000–600,000) lets you store surplus and use it at night instead of exporting at Rs 8 and re-buying at Rs 50. With the export rate this low, batteries make far more financial sense than they did a year ago.
• **Beat the transformer cap.** With the 80% transformer rule, connections are first-come, first-served in busy areas. Applying sooner protects your slot.

So — Is Solar Still Worth It?

Yes, for the vast majority of homes and businesses with bills above **Rs 30,000–40,000 a month.** The 2026 rules changed the *strategy*, not the *verdict*. Solar in Pakistan is no longer an export-arbitrage play; it is a self-consumption play — and on that basis the economics remain outstanding because retail tariffs keep climbing. The higher grid tariffs go, the more each self-used solar unit is worth.

Where it becomes marginal is for low-usage homes (bills under ~Rs 15,000) or households away during the day, where most output would be exported at Rs 8. For them, a smaller battery-backed system or waiting makes sense.

Frequently Asked Questions

**Does the Rs 8.13 rate apply to my existing net metering connection?** No. If your agreement was executed before 9 February 2026, you keep your original one-for-one terms until the contract expires — seven years from signing for most existing consumers. The new net-billing rates only apply to new applicants and, eventually, to renewals.

**What is the difference between net metering and net billing?** Under old net metering, one exported unit cancelled one imported unit — a straight swap worth the full tariff. Under net billing, exports are bought at a low fixed rate (~Rs 8.13) and imports are charged at the full retail tariff (Rs 40–55). The two are valued separately, so self-consumption matters far more than export.

**Will a battery help me under the new rules?** Often yes. Storing a surplus unit and using it at night avoids buying grid power at ~Rs 50, versus exporting it for ~Rs 8 and re-importing at Rs 50. That gap of over Rs 40 per unit is what pays off a battery. Run the numbers on your night-time load before deciding.

**Can I still install a system bigger than my meter's load?** No. New systems are capped at 100% of your sanctioned load. If you want a larger array, you would need to apply to increase your sanctioned load first, subject to your DISCO's approval and the 80% transformer limit.

**What size system should I install now?** Size it to cover your daytime consumption rather than your total monthly units. For most 3–5 marla to 1 kanal homes with ACs, that is a 5 kW to 10 kW system. A quick load audit — or a free assessment from an installer — will pin down the right figure for your usage pattern.

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.