Net Billing's Monthly Credit Expiry: The Quiet Change Shrinking Your Solar Savings in 2026

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

If you went solar expecting your extra units to bank up and cushion your next big bill, 2026 has a quiet surprise. Under NEPRA's new **net billing** rules, your unused **export credits** now expire at the end of **every single month** — they no longer roll over for three months the way they used to. This one line in the fine print can shave thousands of rupees off your annual savings without you ever noticing, because the loss is invisible on each bill.

This guide explains, in plain terms, what changed, why monthly expiry of export credits quietly shrinks your return, and the practical steps Pakistani homeowners and businesses can take to size and time their usage around it.

What actually changed under net billing in 2026

NEPRA notified the **Prosumer Regulations 2026** on 9 February 2026, repealing the old Net Metering Regulations 2015. Two things changed at once:

• **No more 1:1 unit swap.** A unit you export is no longer worth a unit you import. You buy grid power at the full retail tariff (commonly **Rs 42–55+/unit** once taxes and surcharges are added) but your exported surplus is bought back at the much lower National Average Energy Purchase Price — roughly **Rs 10–11 per unit** for new prosumers, versus the old ~Rs 25–27.
• **Monthly settlement, monthly expiry.** Billing moved from a quarterly adjustment to a **monthly** one. Any rupee credit from your exports that you don't consume within that billing month is **forfeited** — it will not carry into the next month.

If you signed your agreement **before 9 February 2026**, a later amendment protects you: your original net metering terms and 1:1 offset stay valid until your 7-year contract expires. The rules below matter most for new prosumers on net billing. For the full regulatory breakdown, see our explainer on the NEPRA net billing rules for 2026.

Why monthly credit expiry quietly shrinks your savings

Solar generation in Pakistan is seasonal and so is your consumption — and they rarely line up month to month.

Think about spring. In **February, March and October**, your panels produce strongly but your air conditioners are off, so you export a large surplus. Under the old three-month carry-forward, that spring credit could travel forward and offset part of your brutal **June–July** bills. Now, that surplus is cashed out at ~Rs 11/unit in the same month and whatever credit you can't burn simply **zeroes out**.

Here is a simplified monthly picture for a typical 5 kW home in Punjab:

| Item | Old 3-month carry-forward | New monthly expiry (2026) | |---|---|---| | Surplus export credit in March | ~Rs 6,000 banked | ~Rs 6,000, settled same month | | Credit usable against June bill | Yes — carried forward | No — already expired | | Spring surplus that survives to summer | Up to 3 months of credit | Rs 0 | | Net effect on peak-month bill | Softened | Full tariff, no cushion |

The export rate was already cut. Layer monthly expiry on top and a household that used to see its surplus work twice — once as a credit, again as a carried cushion — now sees it work once, at a discounted rate. For a mid-size home that routinely over-generates in shoulder months, the lost carry-forward can realistically mean **Rs 15,000–40,000 a year** that previously offset summer bills and now evaporates.

How to size your solar system for net billing

The old game was "export as much as possible." The new game is **self-consumption**: every unit you use yourself is worth the full retail tariff you avoid (Rs 42–55+), while every exported unit is worth only ~Rs 11. The gap between those two numbers is now the single biggest lever on your payback.

• **Right-size, don't oversize.** A system built to dump huge daytime surplus into the grid no longer pays the way it did. Size closer to your **daytime load plus a modest buffer**, not to your total annual consumption.
• **Match panel capacity to what you can actually consume by day.** Oversizing just manufactures export credits that may expire unused each month.
• **Model your real monthly curve.** Ask your installer to map your generation against your month-by-month consumption, not an annual average — the mismatch is exactly where credits die.

How to time your usage so credits don't expire

Because credits reset monthly, the goal is to **consume your own generation within the same billing cycle** rather than banking it.

• **Shift heavy loads to daylight hours.** Run washing machines, dishwashers, water pumps, irons and EV charging between roughly **10 am and 4 pm**, when your panels are producing.
• **Pre-cool and pre-heat on solar.** Cool rooms or heat water during peak sun so the grid draw at night is smaller.
• **Seriously consider a battery.** With self-consumption now worth 4–5× the export rate, a battery that stores midday surplus for evening use has a far stronger case in 2026 than it did two years ago. Store the surplus instead of exporting it for Rs 11.
• **Watch your monthly meter, not just the annual total.** If you consistently export more than you import in a given month, that extra credit is being forfeited — a signal to add load-shifting or storage.

For a deeper walk-through, our guide on how to size a solar system in Pakistan and our solar battery buying guide both build on these numbers.

You can confirm the current regulations directly on the NEPRA website{target="_blank" rel="noopener"}, and the policy shift was reported in detail by Profit by Pakistan Today{target="_blank" rel="noopener"}.

Frequently Asked Questions

**Do my export credits really expire every month now?** Yes. Under the Prosumer Regulations 2026, settlement is monthly and any surplus rupee credit you don't use within the billing month is forfeited. The previous system let unused credit carry forward for up to three months.

**Does this affect me if I already have net metering?** No, provided your agreement was signed before 9 February 2026. A February 2026 amendment grandfathers existing prosumers, keeping your 1:1 unit offset and original buyback rate until your 7-year contract ends.

**What is the new buyback rate for exported units?** New prosumers are compensated at around the National Average Energy Purchase Price, reported at roughly Rs 10–11 per unit — down sharply from the ~Rs 25–27 per unit many older agreements enjoyed.

**Is solar still worth it in Pakistan in 2026?** Yes, but the economics now reward self-consumption, not export. Because you avoid Rs 42–55+/unit by using your own power versus earning only ~Rs 11/unit by exporting, a well-sized system — ideally with storage — still delivers a strong payback.

The bottom line

Net billing's monthly export credit expiry is a small rule with a big effect: your surplus no longer waits for the month you need it. Size your system for daytime self-consumption, shift heavy loads into sunlight hours, and treat a battery as a serious option rather than a luxury. Want a free, net-billing-aware system design and savings estimate for your home or business? **Talk to the Best Solar Company PK team today** and we'll model your real monthly curve before you spend a rupee.

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.