• By Best Solar Company PK
  • 14 Sep, 2026
  • Net Metering
  • 8 min read

Pakistan's rooftop solar owners have spent most of 2026 in limbo. After NEPRA replaced the old net-metering regime with a tougher "net billing" system, thousands of homeowners feared their solar investment had lost its value overnight. Then came a partial rollback — and it changed the maths for anyone with a **net metering** application already in the queue.

If you applied before the cutoff, you may still qualify for the old, far more generous one-to-one credit. If you are only starting now, you fall under net billing. Understanding which side of the line you are on is the single most important solar decision you will make this year.

If your net-metering file was submitted before 8 February 2026, the government has ordered your DISCO to process it under the old rules — not the new net billing regime.

What actually changed in the policy

For a decade, Pakistan ran on the **Alternative & Renewable Energy Distributed Generation and Net Metering Regulations, 2015**. Under that system every surplus unit you exported to the grid offset a unit you later imported — a true one-to-one swap worth roughly PKR 21–27 per unit, depending on your tariff slab.

On 16 December 2025, NEPRA notified the new **Prosumer Regulations, 2025**, formally retiring the 2015 framework. The shift is from *net metering* (unit-for-unit exchange) to *net billing* (buy and sell at different prices). Key changes:

  • Exported (surplus) units are now purchased at a low, nationally-set buyback rate — reported around **PKR 10–13 per unit** in early drafts, down from the effective ~PKR 27 one-to-one value.
  • Imported units are billed separately at your normal peak/off-peak tariff, **inclusive of taxes and surcharges**.
  • The standard agreement term is cut from **7 years to 5 years**, extendable by mutual consent.
  • Systems up to **1 MW** remain eligible.

In short: your solar array still slashes your daytime consumption, but the money you earn for feeding the grid drops sharply.

The rollback: who keeps the old one-to-one deal

Public backlash was immediate, and on 19 February 2026 Power Minister Sardar Awais Leghari directed all distribution companies — including K-Electric — to honour the old terms for applications already in the system.

The protected group is clearly defined:

  • **Applications submitted on or before 8 February 2026** are to be processed under the previous one-to-one net-metering framework.
  • The government identified **5,165 pending applications**, representing about **250.822 MW** of capacity, that fall under this decision.
  • Separately, of roughly 16,654 files stuck in the transition, **11,695 were verified** as complete, valid and compliant.

Anyone connecting *after* 8 February 2026 falls under net billing.

There is also good news for people already running solar: existing consumers with a **valid licence, concurrence or agreement under the 2015 regulations** keep those terms until their agreement expires. Your seven-year deal is safe.

Old net metering vs new net billing — at a glance

| Factor | Old net metering (pre-8 Feb 2026) | New net billing (Prosumer 2025) | |---|---|---| | Export credit | ~PKR 21–27/unit (one-to-one) | ~PKR 10–13/unit buyback | | Import & export | Netted off against each other | Billed and paid separately | | Taxes on imports | Effectively offset | Charged in full on imported units | | Agreement term | 7 years | 5 years | | Typical payback | ~2.5–4 years | ~4–6 years (est.) | | Applies to | Files submitted by 8 Feb 2026 | New installs after that date |

The closing window: what "locking in" means now

Here is the honest reality as of September 2026: the window to *submit a fresh application* under the old one-to-one terms has **already closed** — that door shut on 8 February 2026. The rollback does not reopen it.

What remains live is the **processing of pending files**. If you applied before the cutoff, your job now is to make sure your application is not rejected on a technicality and quietly bumped into net billing. That is where applicants are still losing out.

To protect a pre-8-February application:

  • **Confirm your submission date and reference number** with your DISCO (LESCO, IESCO, K-Electric, etc.) in writing. Keep the acknowledgement.
  • **Complete every deficiency immediately.** Missing test reports, an incomplete inverter datasheet, or an unpaid inspection fee can stall a file until it "expires" into the new regime.
  • **Insist in writing** that your file be processed under the 2015 regulations, citing the 19 February 2026 directive.
  • **Escalate** to the Power Division or NEPRA if a DISCO tries to apply net billing to a protected application.

For genuinely new projects, don't be discouraged — even at PKR 10–13 per exported unit, self-consumption during daylight hours is where the real savings sit, and a **right-sized** system still pays back within a few years. The trick is designing for consumption, not export. See our guide to rooftop solar payback in Pakistan for 2026 and our breakdown of net metering vs net billing.

A practical tip from the field

In our installations across Punjab this year, the single most common reason pending files slipped past the deadline was an **inverter model mismatch** between the application and the unit physically installed. DISCO inspectors flag it instantly. Before your inspection, photograph the inverter nameplate and confirm it exactly matches the datasheet on file. It is a five-minute check that can save a PKR 27-versus-PKR 10 difference for the life of your agreement.

You can verify the current rules directly from NEPRA and track official notifications via the Press Information Department. For system selection, our team also maintains a list of the best solar panels in Pakistan for 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

**Can I still apply for net metering under the old one-to-one terms in 2026?** No. Only applications submitted on or before 8 February 2026 qualify for the old terms. Any new application after that date is processed under the Prosumer Regulations, 2025 net billing system.

**I applied before 8 February 2026 but haven't heard back — am I safe?** You are in the protected group of roughly 5,165 pending applications, but you must actively complete any documentation your DISCO requests. Confirm your submission date in writing and cite the 19 February 2026 directive to ensure old terms apply.

**What is the new buyback rate under net billing?** Early NEPRA drafts and government approvals point to a buyback rate around PKR 10–13 per exported unit, down from the effective one-to-one value of roughly PKR 27. Confirm the notified figure with NEPRA, as rates are periodically revised.

**Do existing solar owners lose their old agreement?** No. Consumers with a valid net-metering agreement under the 2015 regulations keep those terms until the agreement expires — typically the full seven years.

The bottom line

The partial rollback is a genuine reprieve, but a narrow one. If you filed before 8 February 2026, treat your application as a priority: chase it, complete it, and get it approved under the old one-to-one terms before it can drift into net billing. If you are starting fresh, design for daytime self-consumption and realistic payback rather than grid export.

Not sure which side of the line your project sits on? **Contact Best Solar Company PK for a free application review** — we'll check your status, tighten your paperwork, and size your system for the rules that actually apply to you.

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.