Net metering in Pakistan 2026: the rules and the buyback rate now

Net metering is closed to new applicants in Pakistan. Since 9 Feb 2026, NEPRA’s Prosumer Regulations 2026 put new rooftop solar on net billing: the units you send to the grid earn the national average energy purchase price, reported at about Rs 10 to Rs 11 per unit, on a five-year contract. If you already had a net metering agreement, or applied by 8 Feb 2026, you keep the old terms until your agreement expires (as of Oct 2026).

Is net metering still available in Pakistan in 2026?

Only for people who were already in. NEPRA (the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority) notified the Prosumer Regulations 2026 (SRO 251(I)/2026) on 9 Feb 2026. They came into force the same day and repealed the 2015 net metering regulations.

There are now two groups, as of Oct 2026:

• Existing users. Anyone with a valid agreement under the 2015 rules stays on net metering, at the old rate, until the agreement expires. The same applies to applications filed up to 8 Feb 2026.
• New users. Anyone applying from 9 Feb 2026 gets net billing on a five-year contract. When an old agreement expires, its renewal also moves to the new rules.

What changed from net metering to net billing?

Under net metering, your DISCO (electricity distribution company, such as LESCO, IESCO or K-Electric) swapped your units one for one. Under net billing, the units you take and the units you send are priced separately.

Sources: Prosumer Regulations 2026, regulations 3, 7, 14 and 21; Dawn (10 Feb and 28 Apr 2026); Profit (11 Feb 2026); The Nation (3 Apr 2026).

What is the net metering rate in Pakistan now?

It depends on which group you are in.

New users (from 9 Feb 2026): exports are paid at the national average energy purchase price. Dawn reported it as around Rs 10 to Rs 11 per unit on 10 Feb 2026. Profit and pv magazine (9 Oct 2026) put it at about Rs 11. We found no NEPRA notice stating the exact figure, so check your agreement.

Existing users: surplus units are valued at the national average power purchase price. Dawn put existing prosumers’ rate at Rs 26 per unit in February 2026. NEPRA had set that price at Rs 25.98 per unit for 2025-26, down from Rs 27, as The News reported on 24 Jun 2025.

The rate for new users is not fixed for your five-year contract. Regulation 14(3) lets NEPRA revise it by notification, and the new rate then counts as part of your agreement.

A cut was first approved on 13 Mar 2025, when the ECC (Economic Coordination Committee of the cabinet) set Rs 10 per unit, down from Rs 27, and said existing users would not be affected. The rule in force today is NEPRA’s 2026 regulation.

How is my bill calculated under net billing?

At the end of each 30-day billing cycle, your DISCO works out two amounts and subtracts one from the other.

Worked example (illustrative, energy charges only, before taxes and fixed charges). Profit used this example on 11 Feb 2026. In one month a house sends 1,000 units to the grid and takes 900 units at Rs 47 per unit, the rate for three-phase use above 600 units at the time.

• Net metering: 1,000 units out, 900 in. You pay for no units and carry 100 units of surplus, which Profit valued at about Rs 2,700 (100 × Rs 27).
• Net billing: imports cost 900 × Rs 47 = Rs 42,300. Exports earn 1,000 × Rs 11 = Rs 11,000. You pay Rs 31,300.

Under net billing, each unit you use yourself during the day saves your full tariff (Rs 47 in this example), while each unit you export earns about Rs 11. Our guide on whether solar is worth it works through payback.

How big a system can I install?

Under the 2026 rules, your system cannot be bigger than your sanctioned load (regulation 3(2)). Profit’s example: on a 7 kW sanctioned load you can now connect 7 kW, against 10.5 kW (1.5 times) before. NEPRA can change this limit by notification.

Two other limits apply, as of Oct 2026:

• Your DISCO must turn down new applications once solar on your distribution transformer reaches 80% of its rated capacity.
• Systems of 250 kW or more need a load flow study.

The regulations define an applicant as a three-phase 400V or 11kV consumer. If you have a single-phase connection, ask your DISCO before you buy.

What happens to my existing net metering contract?

It stays as it is until it expires. The path to that answer took two months:

1. 9 Feb 2026: NEPRA notified the regulations. As first written, existing users kept their agreements but moved to net billing from the next billing cycle.
2. 11 Feb 2026: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif told the Power Division to seek a review. His office cited 466,000 solar users.
3. 16 Feb 2026: NEPRA published a draft amendment for 30 days of public comment, keeping existing users on the old rate and mechanism.
4. 19 Feb 2026: Power Minister Awais Leghari ordered the 5,165 applications filed by 8 Feb (250.822 MW) to be processed under the old rules.
5. 3 Apr 2026: The Nation reported that NEPRA notified the amendment, deemed effective from 9 Feb 2026.

When your agreement expires, any extension falls under the 2026 rules. That means net billing and a five-year term.

If you are still waiting on an application, our step-by-step guide on how to apply for net metering covers the process with your DISCO.

Do I need a NEPRA licence or pay a fee?

Not up to 25 kW. As first notified, the 2026 rules required NEPRA’s approval and a one-time fee of Rs 1,000 per kW for every system. On 28 Apr 2026, NEPRA dropped the licence and the fee for systems up to 25 kW, backdated to 9 Feb 2026. Systems above 25 kW still pay Rs 1,000 per kW once.

Is there gross metering in Pakistan?

We found no gross metering scheme in force in Pakistan as of Oct 2026. Under gross metering, all the power your panels make would be sold to the grid and all your use bought back. The 2026 rules offer only net billing, with one two-way meter or two separate meters.

More guides: Solar system price in Pakistan · Is solar worth it? · How to apply for net metering · What size solar system do you need? · Solar calculator · Solar loans and instalment plans