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

If you already run rooftop solar in Pakistan, the past week has been nerve-wracking. NEPRA scrapped the old **net metering** regime and moved everyone toward net billing — then, on 22 October 2026, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif stepped in. He directed the Power Division to immediately file a review appeal before NEPRA "to ensure every possible safeguard of the existing consumer contracts."

That single order is the firewall standing between you and a sharply lower export rate. This guide explains what the review appeal actually protects, who counts as a grandfathered user, and the concrete steps existing solar owners should take right now.

What NEPRA changed — and why the backlash erupted

NEPRA repealed the Net Metering Regulations 2015 and replaced them with the new Prosumer Regulations, shifting the national model from net metering to **net billing**.

The difference is not cosmetic. Under old net metering, one unit you exported offset one unit you imported — a clean 1:1 swap. Under net billing, the two are split apart:

  • **Import** from your DISCO is charged at the full retail tariff — roughly **Rs 37–55 per unit**, slab-based, excluding taxes and surcharges.
  • **Export** to the grid is bought back at a far lower rate.

For new prosumers, that buyback rate was slashed to around **Rs 10–11 per unit** (pegged to the National Average Power Purchase Price), down from the roughly **Rs 25–26 per unit** existing owners enjoyed. New contracts were also cut from seven years to five, monthly credit carryover was trimmed from three months to one, and sanctioned capacity limits were tightened.

The reaction was immediate. Senators from the PPP and PTI, solar installers, and hundreds of thousands of homeowners pushed back hard — which is what triggered the PM's intervention.

"The burden of 466,000 users benefitting from solar should not be put on 37.6 million domestic consumers who were getting electricity directly from the national grid." — PM Shehbaz Sharif, framing the review appeal

Who the review appeal protects: the 466,506 grandfathered users

The number that matters is **466,506** — the current rooftop solar owners already holding a net-metering agreement. The PM's review appeal asks NEPRA to **preserve the existing terms** for exactly this cohort.

In practice, "grandfathering" means that if you signed and registered a valid net-metering agreement **before** the new Prosumer Regulations took effect, you keep:

  • Your **~Rs 25–26 per unit** export/buyback rate.
  • Your original **seven-year contract term**, honoured until it naturally expires.
  • The old treatment of your exported units.

New applicants, by contrast, step straight into net billing with the lower buyback rate and five-year term. So the dividing line is not your technology — it's the **date and status of your contract**.

Net metering vs net billing at a glance

| Factor | Existing users (grandfathered) | New users (net billing) | |---|---|---| | Export/buyback rate | ~Rs 25–26 per unit | ~Rs 10–11 per unit | | Contract length | 7 years (honoured to expiry) | 5 years | | Credit carryover | Up to 3 months | 1 month | | Import billing | Per existing agreement | Full slab tariff (Rs 37–55/unit) | | Export = import offset? | Yes (1:1 under old terms) | No (decoupled) |

The gap between the two columns is why protecting your grandfathered status is worth real money — potentially **lakhs of rupees** over the life of a typical 5–10 kW system.

What existing solar owners must do now

The review appeal is a legal process, and outcomes are never guaranteed. Your job is to make sure that *whatever* NEPRA decides, your paperwork proves you belong in the protected 466,506. Here is the practical checklist.

1. **Locate your signed agreement.** Find your original net-metering contract and the generation licence/registration with your DISCO (LESCO, K-Electric, IESCO, etc.). Confirm the **signature date** — this is your proof of being pre-notification. 2. **Confirm it is actually registered.** A quotation or an installer's promise is not a contract. Verify the agreement was executed and that your bidirectional meter is installed and commissioned on the DISCO's system. 3. **Note your exact expiry date.** Grandfathering lasts "until expiry." Know the month and year your seven-year term ends so you can plan ahead. 4. **Do not cancel, amend, or re-apply.** Reopening your agreement could kick you out of the old regime and into net billing. Leave a protected contract untouched. 5. **Be very cautious about capacity upgrades.** Adding panels or raising your sanctioned load may require a fresh application — which would likely fall under the new rules. Get written confirmation from your DISCO before expanding. 6. **Think twice before transferring ownership.** If you sell the property, the grandfathered status may not automatically carry to the new owner. Treat any transfer as a trigger that could reset your terms, and confirm the position in writing first. 7. **Document everything.** Keep PDFs and printed copies of the agreement, meter commissioning report, and recent bills showing your export credits. If a dispute arises, this file is your defence. 8. **Track the review outcome.** Follow NEPRA's hearing notices and credible news. Nothing is final until NEPRA rules on the appeal.

**One original tip from the field:** screenshot or photograph your DISCO online portal showing your net-metering status *today*, before any system migration. We have seen accounts quietly reclassified during billing-software updates, and a dated screenshot is far easier than reconstructing proof months later.

For a deeper breakdown of the new regime, see our explainer on the NEPRA net billing rules for 2026 and our complete net metering guide for Pakistan. If you are weighing a fresh installation, our rooftop solar payback calculator guide walks through the new economics.

Frequently Asked Questions

**Does the PM's order mean my net-metering rate is safe for good?** Not yet. The 22 October directive instructs the Power Division to file a review appeal before NEPRA; it is a request to restore and safeguard existing contracts, not a final ruling. Keep your paperwork ready and watch for NEPRA's decision.

**I signed my agreement before the new rules — am I automatically grandfathered?** That is the intent of the review appeal: owners with a valid, registered agreement predating the Prosumer Regulations should keep their old ~Rs 25–26 buyback rate and seven-year term until expiry. Confirm your agreement is properly executed and registered with your DISCO so you can prove it.

**What happens when my seven-year contract expires?** Current signals suggest renewals will move to the prevailing regime — likely net billing at the lower buyback rate. Plan for that transition: maximise self-consumption, and consider battery storage so you rely less on low-value grid exports.

**Is it still worth going solar in Pakistan in 2026?** Yes. Even at a Rs 10–11 buyback rate, grid electricity at Rs 37–55 per unit means every unit you consume yourself delivers strong savings. The economics now favour self-consumption and storage over exporting surplus to the grid.

The bottom line

The PM's review appeal is a genuine shield for the 466,506 existing net-metering users — but it protects those who can **prove** their status. Secure your signed agreement, leave it untouched, avoid changes that could trigger the new rules, and follow the NEPRA decision closely. If you are unsure where your contract stands, talk to our solar team for a free review of your net-metering paperwork before anything changes.

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.