Filed Before 8 Feb 2026? How to Lock In the Old Rs25.32 Net-Metering Rate

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

If your net-metering application reached your DISCO before 8 February 2026, you are sitting on something valuable — a legal right to the **old Rs25.32/unit buyback rate**, not the slashed net-billing rate every new applicant now gets. In February 2026, Federal Power Minister Sardar Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari ordered all distribution companies, including K-Electric, to process every net-metering application filed before 8 February 2026 under the earlier regulations. This guide shows pending applicants how to claim those grandfathered rates and what to do when the backlog swallows your file.

The problem is that an order from Islamabad and a connection on your roof are two very different things. Thousands of eligible files are still stuck. Below is the practical, Pakistan-specific playbook for getting yours across the line in 2026.

What the Power Minister Actually Ordered

On 19 February 2026, the Power Division confirmed that **5,165 net-metering applications** — a combined **250.822 MW** of capacity — were pending across all DISCOs as of the 8 February cutoff. The minister directed "immediate implementation" and told every company, including K-Electric, to clear these files under the pre-amendment framework, with transparency and no fresh conditions attached.

This matters because NEPRA notified the <a href="https://www.nepra.org.pk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Prosumer (Distributed Generation) Regulations 2026</a> on 9 February, replacing the 2015 net-metering rules with a net-billing model. Under net billing, the buyback rate for new consumers was cut by Rs17.19 to roughly **Rs8.13 per unit**, and an exported unit no longer offsets an imported unit one-for-one.

For the full picture of what changed, read our breakdown of the NEPRA net-billing rules for 2026.

Old Rules vs New Rules: Why the Date Is Everything

The gap between the two regimes is not marginal. Here is how a pre-8-February applicant compares to someone applying today.

| Factor | Old Net Metering (filed ≤ 8 Feb 2026) | New Net Billing (filed after) | |---|---|---| | Export (buyback) rate | ~Rs25.32 per unit | ~Rs8.13 per unit | | Unit offset | 1 export unit = 1 import unit | Export and import priced separately | | Agreement term | 7 years locked | 5 years, subject to revision | | Settlement | Net kWh banked monthly | Rupee-based net billing | | Grandfathering | Protected until term expires | Not applicable |

On a typical 10 kW home system exporting 600–800 units a month, the rate difference alone can mean **Rs10,000–Rs13,000 more per month** in credit. Over a seven-year agreement that is a six-figure swing — which is exactly why claiming your grandfathered slot is worth the paperwork chase.

Who Qualifies for the Grandfathered Rate?

You are covered if all of the following are true:

• Your application was **submitted to the DISCO on or before 8 February 2026** (the date the application was lodged, not the date of approval or meter installation).
• You have a valid application or tracking reference number from your DISCO (LESCO, IESCO, MEPCO, GEPCO, FESCO, HESCO, PESCO, QESCO, SEPCO or K-Electric).
• Your system capacity matches your sanctioned load and the single-line diagram you submitted.

If your file was lodged after 8 February, the net-billing regime applies — there is no route back to Rs25.32.

The Documentation to Have Ready

Pending files most often stall because the DISCO claims a document is missing. Assemble a complete pack before you follow up, with a date-stamped copy of each item:

• **Application acknowledgement** showing the submission date (the proof you filed before 8 February).
• **CNIC** of the applicant and a recent **paid electricity bill** (same name/connection).
• **Sanctioned load and tariff category** documents.
• **Single-line diagram** and **equipment datasheets** (panels and inverter) stamped by a registered electrical engineer.
• **Inverter certification** and the **PEC-licensed installer/vendor** details.
• **Agreement draft** and the energy-meter test report, if already issued.

Keep both digital and hard copies. In a backlog, the applicant who can email a full set within an hour of a phone call almost always gets processed first.

How to Claim It: A Step-by-Step Follow-Up

1. **Confirm your submission date in writing.** Visit the DISCO's net-metering cell and get your registration date recorded on your acknowledgement — this one line is your entire legal claim. 2. **Request your file status in writing.** Submit a short application quoting your reference number and the minister's 19 February directive to process pre-8-February files under old rules. 3. **Escalate to the Chief Engineer / XEN** if there is no movement in 15 days. CC the DISCO's designated net-metering focal person. 4. **Use the official complaint channel.** The Power Division advised affected consumers to lodge complaints on helpline **118**, and you can file a formal complaint with <a href="https://www.nepra.org.pk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NEPRA</a> if the DISCO delays without cause. 5. **Keep a dated log** of every call, visit and email. If you later need NEPRA to intervene, this timeline is your strongest evidence.

If your application has genuinely disappeared into the queue, our detailed guide on what to do when your net-metering file is stuck at the DISCO walks through the exact escalation letters that work.

Why the Backlog Persists — and How to Beat It

Even after the February order, the clearance has been slow. By August 2026, DISCOs were again directed to implement NEPRA's instructions on pending applications, and hundreds of pre-February files remained unprocessed at the ex-WAPDA companies — some stuck for more than six months. Common causes are feeder-capacity caps (many DISCOs pause approvals once a transformer crosses 80% solar load), incomplete engineering documents, and simple administrative inertia.

A practical tip from the field: ask your installer whether your feeder has headroom **before** you escalate. If capacity is the real blocker, pairing your request with a right-sized system — or adding battery storage to reduce export dependence — often unlocks a faster approval.

Frequently Asked Questions

**Does the old Rs25.32 rate really stay for seven years?** Yes. Net-metering agreements signed under the 2015 framework run for seven years with a one-to-one unit offset. If your application was filed before 8 February 2026, your DISCO must honour those terms for the full agreement period, even though new consumers are now on net billing.

**What if my DISCO insists on applying the new net-billing rate?** Point them to the Power Minister's 19 February 2026 directive and NEPRA's clarification that applications filed before the 8 February cutoff are processed under the earlier regulations. Put your objection in writing, quote your submission date, and escalate to NEPRA via helpline 118 if they refuse.

**I filed on 7 February but my meter isn't installed yet — am I still covered?** Yes. Eligibility is based on the date your application was **submitted**, not the installation or approval date. Keep your dated acknowledgement safe as proof.

**How long should processing take now?** There is no fixed statutory clock in the backlog, but NEPRA's norms expect approvals within weeks, not months. If your file crosses 30–45 days without a valid reason, you have strong grounds to escalate.

The Bottom Line

The window to lodge new net-metering applications under the old terms has closed, but if you filed before 8 February 2026, the Rs25.32/unit rate is still legally yours. Don't let a slow DISCO queue cost you a seven-year advantage worth lakhs — gather your documents, confirm your submission date, and follow up firmly and in writing.

Need help chasing a stuck file or sizing a grandfathered system correctly? **Contact Best Solar Company PK** today and our team will handle the DISCO paperwork and engineering so your old-rate net-metering connection gets energised.

**Sources:** ProPakistani, Business Recorder, Profit by Pakistan Today

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.