Net Metering in Pakistan: Process, Documents and Status Check

Net metering in Pakistan lets a business with rooftop solar send surplus units to the grid and get credit for them on the monthly bill. The rules changed in February 2026: under NEPRA's Prosumer Regulations, 2026, new applicants now get "net billing" instead, and the same rules apply through every electricity distribution company (DISCO) in the country. This guide explains what changed, how the process works, which documents to prepare, how to follow up on your case and how the bill is calculated, so you or your installer can plan the application with fewer surprises.

EGS is a solar equipment supplier. We do not file net metering applications. This guide is for shop owners, office managers, factory owners and installers who are handling the process with their DISCO themselves.

What changed in 2026: from net metering to net billing

From 2015 until early 2026, rooftop solar in Pakistan ran under NEPRA's Alternative and Renewable Energy Distributed Generation and Net Metering Regulations, 2015. Under that system, units you exported were netted against units you imported.

In February 2026, NEPRA notified the Prosumer Regulations, 2026, which repealed the 2015 regulations and moved new applicants to net billing (Business Recorder). As reported at the time, the main points are:

• Exported units are bought by the DISCO at a rate linked to the national average energy purchase price, which NEPRA can revise.
• Imported units are billed at your normal applicable tariff.
• Agreements run for five years and can be renewed by mutual consent.
• Eligible systems are clean generation of up to one megawatt.

Because the rate you get for exported units is lower than the rate you pay for imported units, each unit you use yourself during the day is worth more than a unit you export. That shifts how a business should size its system, which we cover below.

What about existing net metering customers?

After public criticism, the government moved to protect people who already had net metering. The federal power minister directed that applications filed up to 8 February 2026 be processed under the earlier rules (APP). NEPRA also issued a draft amendment that would let existing contract holders keep their terms until their agreement expires (pv magazine).

In April 2026, NEPRA proposed a further amendment so that systems up to 25 kW could be approved directly by the distribution company instead of needing NEPRA concurrence (Business Recorder). Rules are still settling, so check the current position with your DISCO before you sign anything.

Which DISCO handles your net metering application?

You apply to the company that sends your electricity bill. Pakistan's distribution companies are:

• LESCO: Lahore
• IESCO: Islamabad and Rawalpindi
• FESCO: Faisalabad
• MEPCO: Multan
• GEPCO: Gujranwala
• PESCO: Peshawar
• HESCO: Hyderabad
• SEPCO: Sukkur
• QESCO: Quetta
• TESCO: tribal areas
• K-Electric: Karachi

The NEPRA regulations are the same everywhere, but each DISCO runs its own application desk, forms, checklist and tracking system. Get the current checklist from your own DISCO before you start, and expect small differences from what a contact in another city went through.

Who can apply for net metering in Pakistan

You can apply if you are a DISCO customer with a valid connection and a solar system installed (or planned) at the same premises. In practice, the DISCO looks at:

• Your connection and sanctioned load. The system has to suit your connection. If your solar plant is much larger than your sanctioned load, you may need a load extension first. Check this early if your business has added machines or AC since the connection was taken.
• Property documents. The applicant has to match the premises on the bill. If you rent the premises, ask your DISCO what it needs from the owner.
• Your installer. DISCOs can set requirements for who installs and documents the system. Ask yours before you hire an installer.
• Equipment. Inverters and meters must meet the DISCO's interconnection requirements.

Net metering process in Pakistan, step by step

The detail differs between DISCOs, but an application under the 2026 regulations follows the same broad path:

1. Finalise your system design. Your installer prepares the single-line diagram and the equipment details.
2. Submit the application to your DISCO. Depending on the DISCO, this is online or at its office. Keep the reference number you are given.
3. Submit the documents. Use the DISCO's own checklist and templates.
4. Technical review. The DISCO checks the application, the design and your connection. It may put the case on hold if something is missing.
5. Site inspection. The DISCO inspects the premises and the system.
6. Estimate or demand notice. The DISCO tells you what to pay for the bi-directional meter and related work.
7. Payment. You pay the estimate within the period the DISCO gives.
8. NEPRA concurrence or approval. Under the 2026 regulations, this is needed before the facility starts. The April 2026 proposal would let DISCOs approve systems up to 25 kW themselves.
9. Agreement and meter installation. The net billing agreement is signed and the meter is installed.
10. Billing conversion. Your account moves to net billing, and the export credit starts showing on your bill.

Documents for net metering

Each DISCO publishes its own list, and it may ask for more during review. Most files include:

• The DISCO's application form
• CNIC of the account holder, or company registration documents for a business
• A recent electricity bill for the premises
• Property or ownership documents, or the owner's consent for rented premises
• Single-line diagram of the system, on the DISCO's template if it has one
• Datasheets for the panels and inverter
• The signed net billing agreement and any undertakings or affidavits the DISCO asks for

If you buy your equipment from EGS, we can send the Aiko panel and Sungrow inverter datasheets for your file. A missing signature, an outdated bill or a name that does not match the property papers is a common reason a case goes on hold.

Net metering status check

There is no single national portal for net metering status. Each DISCO tracks its own cases, so the way you check depends on your company:

• Keep your reference number. Ask for it when you submit, along with how the DISCO expects you to follow up.
• Use your DISCO's own channel. Depending on the company, that may be an online tracker, a customer portal, a helpline or the office where you applied. Find it on your DISCO's official website or printed on your bill.
• Ask your installer. Installers who file applications regularly usually know how each stage is shown and who to call.

Whatever the system, the case moves through the stages listed above: review, inspection, estimate, payment, approval, meter installation and billing conversion. A case on hold usually means the DISCO needs a document or a correction. If an estimate is not paid within its validity period, you may need a fresh one.

Net metering bill calculation

Under net billing, your bill has two sides: what you import and what you export. Here is the idea using units only. The rupee rates come from your DISCO tariff and NEPRA's current buyback rate.

Item (one month, example)	Units
Solar generated	1,200
Used directly on site during working hours	700
Exported to the grid	500
Imported from the grid (nights, cloudy days, after closing)	600

Call your applicable tariff "T" rupees per unit and NEPRA's buyback rate "B" rupees per unit. The bill then works like this:

• Import charge = 600 units × T (including the peak/off-peak rate if you are on a time-of-use meter), plus taxes and fixed charges.
• Export credit = 500 units × B.
• Net bill = import charge minus export credit. If the credit is larger, the surplus is carried forward or settled under the regulations.

Now look at the 700 self-consumed units. They never appear on the bill at all, so you save 700 × T. Because T is higher than B for commercial and industrial users, each of those units is worth more than an exported one. Under net billing, that is where most of the value sits.

How a business gets more from net billing

• Run heavy loads while the sun is up. Compressors, pumps, cold rooms, washing and pressing lines and air conditioning do the most good during working hours.
• Size the system to your daytime load. A plant that exports most of its output earns the lower buyback rate on most units.
• Watch Sundays and holidays. A shop or office closed on weekends exports most of that day's output. Factor that into the size.
• Plan for the season. Winter fog and smog in Punjab cut output for weeks at a time, while dust and heat take a share in summer. Use a full year of bills when you size.
• Consider battery storage. A hybrid system with storage holds daytime surplus for the evening, when you would otherwise import at full tariff. For commercial sites, see Sigenergy SigenStack battery storage.

Our solar calculator gives a first estimate based on your bill.

Where EGS fits in

EGS supplies the equipment: Aiko solar panels, Sungrow inverters and Sigenergy SigenStack storage. You or your installer handle the DISCO application, the single-line diagram, the undertakings and the meter process.

What we can do is help you pick equipment sized for net billing. Send us a year of bills or your daytime load, and we will suggest a panel and inverter combination that keeps most of the output on site. Read more on commercial solar and industrial solar.

Get a quote for net billing-ready equipment

Planning a system for net billing with your DISCO? Message us your monthly units or load on WhatsApp and ask for today's price on panels and inverters, or send the details through our request a quote form. Datasheets are available on request for your application file. We supply businesses across Pakistan; ask about delivery to your city.

FAQ

Is net metering still available in Pakistan?

New applications now go through net billing under NEPRA's Prosumer Regulations, 2026. Many people still call it net metering, and existing contracts and cases filed up to 8 February 2026 were directed to be handled under the earlier rules.

Do the same rules apply in every city?

Yes. The NEPRA regulations apply nationwide. Each DISCO runs its own application process, forms and tracking, so the paperwork can look different from one company to the next.

How long does net metering take?

It depends on how complete your documents are, how quickly your DISCO schedules its inspection and the approval stage. Incomplete files are the main cause of delay. Ask your DISCO or your installer for a current estimate.

How do I check my net metering status?

Use the reference number from your application and follow up through your DISCO's own tracker, customer service line or office. There is no single national status portal.

Can I apply for net metering myself?

You can start the application yourself, but the single-line diagram and equipment documents usually come from the installer, and your DISCO may set requirements for who installs the system.

Does EGS file the net metering application?

No. EGS supplies solar panels, inverters and battery storage. The application is filed by you or your installer. We can provide equipment datasheets for the file.

Why is my net metering application on hold?

Usually because of a missing or incorrect document, such as a mismatch between the property papers and the electricity bill, an unsigned undertaking or an incomplete single-line diagram. Fix the issue and resubmit through your DISCO.