Net Metering Feb 8 Cutoff: How to Push Your Pending File Through PITC Under Old Rules

• By Best Solar Company PK
• 12 Sep, 2026
• Net Metering
• 8 min read @@METATITLE@@ Net Metering Feb 8 Cutoff: Clear Your Pending File @@METADESC@@ Filed net metering before 8 Feb 2026? Learn how to confirm your pending application qualifies for old rules and push it through PITC and your DISCO. @@IMAGEPROMPT@@ professional photorealistic photo of a Pakistani utility technician in a hi-vis vest installing a bi-directional net metering meter on the outside wall of a suburban Lahore house, rooftop solar panels visible above, warm afternoon sunlight, clipboard and paperwork in hand, realistic documentary style, no text or words in image

If you applied for **net metering** before 8 February 2026 and your file is still stuck, there is finally good news. The government has ordered all DISCOs and K-Electric to clear a backlog of **5,165 pending net-metering applications** strictly under the *old* rules — not the new net-billing framework. Together these connections add about **250.822 MW** to the grid, and yours could be one of them.

This matters enormously in money terms. Under the old net-metering rules your exported units offset your imported units almost one-to-one at the retail tariff. Under the new NEPRA Prosumer Regulations, 2026, exports are bought back at roughly **Rs 10 per unit** while you still buy grid power at **Rs 35–47 per unit**. Getting grandfathered under the old regime can be the difference between a 3–4 year payback and a 6–7 year one.

Below is a practical, Pakistan-specific guide to confirming your file qualifies and pushing it through PITC.

Why the Feb 8 cutoff exists

In early 2026 NEPRA replaced the decade-old *Alternative & Renewable Energy Distributed Generation and Net Metering Regulations, 2015* with a new net-billing system. The switch sharply cut the buyback rate — from as high as Rs 27 down to around Rs 10 per unit — after the regulator argued that net metering was shifting a growing cost burden onto grid-only consumers.

To avoid punishing people who had already applied and paid in good faith, the Power Minister directed that every application **received up to 8 February 2026 be processed under the old rules**. The regulator has since tasked the **Power Information Technology Company (PITC)** — which runs the DISCOs' billing software — to check and update these pending connections so they are not silently pushed onto the new tariff.

Does your pending file actually qualify?

The eligibility test is stricter than "I applied before February." NEPRA and the Power Division have defined a legitimate pending case as one where the consumer had completed the core formalities **before 9 February 2026**. Check each of these against your own paperwork:

• **Demand notice paid** — this is the single most important proof. The verification specifically hinges on a *verifiable payment of the demand notice* before the 9 February cutoff.
• **Net-metering licence issued** by NEPRA (or the application processed for it).
• **Physical meter replacement or reprogramming** done — i.e. the bi-directional/green meter was installed or your existing meter reprogrammed.
• **Meter Connection Order (MCO) executed** by the DISCO.

If you can tick the demand-notice payment plus one or more of the remaining steps before the deadline, your case falls squarely inside the 5,165 the government has ordered cleared.

### Old rules vs new rules — what you're fighting for

| Factor | Old net metering (2015) | New net billing (2026) | |---|---|---| | Export credit | ~1:1 offset at retail tariff | ~Rs 10 per unit | | Import charge | Applicable slab tariff | Rs 35–47 per unit | | Contract length | Long-term (typically 3 years, renewable) | Limited to 5 years | | Buyback revisions | Stable | Periodically revised by NEPRA | | Typical payback | ~3–4 years | ~6–7 years |

How to push your file through PITC — step by step

PITC has been told to review its billing systems and promptly update every connection that completed the required formalities before 9 February 2026. But "told to" is not "done automatically." Be proactive:

1. **Assemble your evidence.** Collect the dated demand notice, your paid bank/DISCO receipt, the net-metering licence, the meter installation report, and the MCO. Scan everything. The paid demand-notice receipt with a pre-9 Feb date is your anchor document. 2. **Confirm your application reference and status.** Note your net-metering tracking/reference number and your 14-digit reference number from the electricity bill. 3. **Write to your DISCO's net-metering/CS Directorate in writing.** Email and a stamped hard copy. State clearly that your file was filed and demand notice paid before 8 February 2026 and must be processed under the old rules per the Power Division's directive. 4. **Ask them to escalate to PITC.** The system update happens at PITC's end. Request in writing that your XEN/SDO forward your case to PITC for updating in the billing software as an old-rules net-metering connection. 5. **Keep a paper trail and follow up weekly.** Log every call, name, and date. If there is no movement in 10–15 working days, escalate to the DISCO's Chief Executive's complaint cell. 6. **Use NEPRA's complaint channel if stonewalled.** NEPRA has publicly backed clearing this backlog, so a documented complaint referencing the directive carries real weight. See our NEPRA complaint filing guide for the exact process.

A concrete tip from the field: DISCOs process what is *documented*, not what is *claimed*. Applicants who show up with a dated, stamped demand-notice receipt get moved to the front. Those relying on "I applied in January" without a paid receipt are the ones who get bumped to net billing. If you cannot find your receipt, request a duplicate from the same cash counter or bank branch immediately.

Watch out for these traps

• **Silent re-classification.** If PITC's software defaults you to net billing, your first monthly bill will reveal a Rs 10/unit export credit instead of a proper offset. Check your first post-installation bill line by line.
• **Incomplete formalities before the deadline.** If your demand notice was issued but *not paid* before 9 February, your case is weaker — pay and document everything, and argue the filing date aggressively.
• **Agreement date drift.** Insist the net-metering agreement reflects your original pre-cutoff status, not the date the DISCO finally signs it.

For a full breakdown of how the two regimes compare over a system's lifetime, read our net metering vs net billing cost comparison.

Frequently Asked Questions

**What is the exact cutoff date for old net-metering rules?** Applications received up to 8 February 2026 qualify. For the eligibility formalities — especially the paid demand notice — the operative deadline is before 9 February 2026. Anything completed after that falls under the new net-billing regime.

**How do I prove my file qualifies?** The strongest single proof is a verifiable payment of your demand notice before 9 February 2026, backed by your net-metering licence, meter installation/reprogramming report, and executed Meter Connection Order. Keep dated, stamped copies of all of them.

**What is PITC's role in all this?** PITC (Power Information Technology Company) runs the DISCOs' billing software. NEPRA has tasked it to review and update every pending connection that completed formalities before 9 February 2026 so those consumers are billed under the old rules, not net billing.

**How much money does staying on old rules save me?** Under the old rules exports offset imports at roughly the retail tariff; under net billing exports fetch about Rs 10 per unit while you still buy power at Rs 35–47 per unit. Over a system's life this can cut years off your payback period.

**My DISCO says my file is now net billing — what do I do?** Submit your dated demand-notice receipt in writing, cite the Power Division directive to clear pre-8-February applications under old rules, and ask them to escalate to PITC. If ignored, file a documented complaint with NEPRA.

Bottom line

The 5,165-file clearance is a genuine, time-limited opening. If your demand notice was paid before 9 February 2026, you have a strong claim to the old, far more generous net-metering rules — but only if you document it and chase it. Gather your receipts today, put your request in writing, and make sure PITC updates your connection correctly. Need a hand auditing your file or drafting the escalation letter? Talk to our net-metering team and we'll review your paperwork before you submit.

*Sources: Dawn, Business Recorder, Profit by Pakistan Today, Energy Update.*

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.