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

If you installed rooftop solar in Pakistan expecting the old one-for-one deal, 2026 has been a stressful year. NEPRA scrapped net metering for new applicants, tried to apply the change to old contracts too, and only a direct intervention from the Prime Minister pulled existing solar owners back from the brink. This guide explains, in plain terms, where net metering stands now — and what the Rs 11 buyback and the pending NEPRA appeal really mean for your bill.

What actually changed in February 2026

On 9–10 February 2026, NEPRA notified the **NEPRA (Prosumer) Regulations, 2026**, replacing the decade-old net metering framework with a **net billing** model. The difference matters:

  • **Net metering (old):** every unit you exported offset a unit you imported, one-for-one, at the full retail tariff — effectively worth Rs 22–27 per unit.
  • **Net billing (new):** exports and imports are billed separately. You *buy* grid power at the full consumer tariff (often **Rs 40+ per unit**, and Rs 55–65 in peak slabs), but you *sell* surplus at the National Average Energy Purchase Price — roughly **Rs 11 per unit**.

That is a drop of more than half on the value of every exported unit, while the price of imported electricity stays sky-high. For a household that banks daytime surplus to cover evening usage, the economics change sharply.

The old system rewarded every exported unit like cash in the bank. Net billing turns that same unit into loose change — about Rs 11 — while the grid still charges you Rs 40-plus to buy power back at night.

The "immediate" shock — and why the PM stepped in

The real alarm was not the new rate. It was that the original regulations applied net billing **immediately, even to consumers who already held valid net metering agreements**. Most of those agreements were signed as seven-year contracts. Ending them mid-term looked, to many owners and lawyers, like a straightforward **breach of contract** — changing the deal retrospectively after people had already spent Rs 800,000 to Rs 2.5 million on their systems on the strength of the old terms.

Pakistan had roughly **283,000 registered net metering users** by December 2024, so the pushback was immediate and loud. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif took notice and directed the Power Division and NEPRA to **file a review/appeal** and protect existing consumers, insisting their contracts remain fully honoured without retrospective changes.

Grandfathering: the draft amendment that protects old contracts

On **16 February 2026**, NEPRA issued a **draft amendment** introducing a **grandfathering clause**. In short:

  • Consumers with a **valid net metering agreement as of 9 February 2026** keep their old one-for-one terms until their agreement expires (the remaining years of their seven-year contracts).
  • Power Minister Awais Leghari confirmed that **5,165 applications filed before 8 February 2026**, covering about **250.822 MW**, will be processed under the **old net metering policy**.
  • Anyone applying **on or after 9 February 2026** falls fully under the new **net billing** regime — the Rs 11 buyback, separate metering and all new charges.

So the headline "net metering scrapped immediately, even for old contracts" describes the *original* notification. The grandfathering amendment is the corrective the PM ordered. If you are an existing owner, the intended outcome is that **your contract is safe until it expires** — but because this protection lives in a draft amendment and an appeal that is still working through the process, it is not yet fully settled law.

Net metering vs net billing at a glance

| Feature | Net metering (grandfathered) | Net billing (new, 2026) | |---|---|---| | Export value | ~Rs 22–27 (1-for-1 offset) | ~Rs 11 per unit | | Import cost | Full retail tariff | Full retail tariff (Rs 40+) | | Metering | Bidirectional offset | Separate buy/sell accounting | | Agreement term | 7 years | 5 years | | System cap | Up to sanctioned load | Sanctioned load, max 1 MW* |

*Systems of 250 kW and above require a mandatory load-flow study.

Where this leaves you right now

**If you are an existing owner (agreement before 9 Feb 2026):** Keep your documentation safe — your signed agreement, installation date and NEPRA licence. Under the grandfathering clause you should retain your one-for-one terms until expiry. Watch your monthly bill closely: there was genuine confusion when at least one DISCO (IESCO) issued billing circulars days *after* the PM ordered a halt, so errors are possible. If your bill suddenly reflects Rs 11 buyback while you are grandfathered, raise it with your DISCO immediately and quote your agreement date.

**If you applied after 9 Feb 2026, or are planning to:** Assume net billing. The smart move is to **size your system for daytime self-consumption**, not for exporting a surplus. Every unit you use directly — running your AC, pumps and appliances while the sun is up — is worth the full Rs 40-plus you would otherwise pay the grid, versus just Rs 11 if you export it. Pairing a modest battery to shift solar into the evening peak now makes far more sense than oversizing panels to dump cheap units onto the grid.

Even under net billing, solar still pays — grid tariffs are simply so high that self-consumption carries the return. Industry estimates for a well-sized, high-self-use residential system still land around a **2.5–4.5 year payback**, though poorly matched systems that rely on exports can stretch to 10–12 years.

For more on right-sizing, see our guides on choosing the right solar system size and adding batteries for evening load-shifting.

Frequently Asked Questions

**Has net metering been completely scrapped in Pakistan?** For *new* applicants from 9 February 2026, yes — they move to net billing with the ~Rs 11 buyback. *Existing* users with valid agreements are meant to be grandfathered onto their old one-for-one terms until their contracts expire, following the PM-ordered NEPRA appeal and the 16 February 2026 draft amendment.

**What is the current solar buyback rate in 2026?** Surplus exported under net billing is paid at the National Average Energy Purchase Price, around **Rs 11 per unit** (some readings put it at Rs 11–13). That compares with the roughly Rs 22–27 of value under the old net metering offset.

**Will my existing contract really be honoured?** That is the stated intent of the grandfathering clause and the reason the PM ordered the appeal. Because it sits in a draft amendment that is still being finalised, keep your agreement paperwork and monitor your bills rather than assuming it is automatic.

**Is solar still worth installing under net billing?** Yes, if you design for self-consumption. With grid tariffs above Rs 40 per unit, every solar unit you use directly saves far more than you would earn exporting it — so a right-sized system, ideally with storage, still pays back within a few years for most Pakistani homes and businesses.

The bottom line

Net metering as Pakistan knew it is gone for new entrants, and the Rs 11 buyback reshapes the maths for everyone. But the panic over old contracts ending "immediately" has largely been answered: grandfathering, backed by the Prime Minister's appeal, aims to protect existing owners to the end of their agreements. Until the amendment is finalised, stay documented, check your bills, and — whether old or new — lean your system toward using your own sunshine rather than selling it cheap.

Thinking about going solar under the new rules? Talk to Best Solar Company PK for a net-billing-optimised design built around your actual daytime load.

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.